Description: Things just aren't getting any better with the clock ticking. Where snipers managed to hold up Hotaru and Kurenai, an ill-timed raid outside a bar saw Eagle and Dr. Tran captured (totally Eagle's fault). All four were taken prisoner at the staging area of the Snow Leopard units. While Eagle and Dr. Tran may have had connections that intimidated their guard, Hotaru and Kurenai had to make due with old-fashioned lockpicking and uniform theft. The question is, what happens when these two teams make contact with one another... and when misunderstandings arise? (WINNER: Good sense)
The situation on the ground has always been dire. It just happened to get even worse with absolute anarchy breaking out. To cover the numerous circumstances and journeys of so many across the warzone into a concise description is a futile endeavor.
A raid executed just outside a bar sees Eagle, famous British fighting performer, being marched along the river alongside his teammate he unwittingly dragged into the mess, one Dr. Tran, before being left to spend time in a cell. A cell so dirty, so dark, so DISGUSTING and completely unbefitting of a celebrity of his caliber (or Dr. Tran, one would assume). It may be to his benefit that the number of times he raised a fuss about his treatment were not caught by a candid camera. (The same goes for the means in which to get him to shut his maw.)
They aren't there long, when Tsang calls - why didn't they remove the phone? It's said loudly enough near the guard to their cage that 'these men are not his to command.' An intimidated guard, however reluctantly, lets them out.
Eagle, for his part, is not terribly grateful for it, walking along with a visible limp in one leg in a stained, dirtied white shirt that he'd do well to find some replacement to. He got his freedom. He sure didn't get a new shirt.
"Well then," Eagle says, "I suppose this is the point where we simply take our leave." He scoffs, trying to brush off some dirt away from his moustache in one hand as he makes his way along a (currently) empty hallway devoid of patrols. This is a convenient situation that cannot - nor will it - last. These two men should not be walking free.
"Bloody savages." Someone hasn't enjoyed their foray into the really truly and dirty world of warfare and intrigue! If for some godforsaken reason this prison has a gift shop, he won't be stopping for a souvenir of this hellhole, that's for sure.
Hotaru and Kurenai knew about the encroaching military presence before it actually became relevant to them specifically. As part of the 'reward' of their final round in the Jinchuu event itself, they were presented with information on various parts of the region. One of those regions happened to be the military staging grounds for the forces about to sweep into the area to try and regain control over the insanity raging within Taizhou.
On one level, it was somewhat a relief to see military action being taken to bring an end finally to the devestation racking the territory and threatening everyone trapped within it. On the other hand, military force can be be applied indiscriminatingly, as both Hotaru and Kurenai found out first hand not long after. Fortunately, their time in the cages proves to be fleeting thanks largely in part to the specific talents of the Futaba girl's teammate. All she can do at first is watch, impressed, as Kurenai deals with the locks in a way that seems right of a spy movie.
It's the next step where her own talents come into play, the two of them taking out a pair of guards quickly, and quietly enough to avoid raising a ruckus. Still, they have a lot of ground to cover to get outside of the militarized zone. The uniforms of the unconcious guards might be ill fitting, to say the least, but they should let the two pass by any cursory inspection as they start to navigate their way through the compound toward one of the gatehouses on the perimeter.
"I'm sure glad you knew how to open locks like that," the teen fighter observes with a grin toward her partner. She points at the side of her own head, tapping it as she quietly indicates that a bit of Kurenai's pink hair is sticking visibly out of the donned military cap. Somehow Hotaru is pretty sure pink isn't a standard issue hair color for soldiers. "We're almost out of here. Hopefully they don't ask too many questions at the gate... or have it too heavily guarded..."
Dr. Richard Tran has just spent more time in a filthy, cramped little cage than anybody should actually ever have to, with the possible exception of one person.
"What? Shut up, you're not even allowed to complain, asshole." The doctor manages quite a good sulk while walking alongside the partner chosen for him in what has to be yet another joke at his expense (because that's what people who run things like this do, god damn them), an atmosphere of supreme annoyance at the entire world hanging about him like a fog. "You got yourself into this. Now, me, I get to complain, because you also got ME into this." Tran pauses a beat.
"Dickhole."
Dr. Tran is content to let it stand with that for a moment, until the /unexpectable/ happens and he spots some soldiers, who no doubt want to put him back in his cage and continue the ongoing trend of annoying the piss out of him.
"Oh for the love of...look, this is your fault, make up for it by taking those guys out before they raise an alarm or something."
Kurenai smiles, wryly. Somehow she's been roped into... -heroic- things. Granted, with what she's learned about Jinchuu and Taizhou, she might've been inclined to do it -anyways-, because some things are just too horrible to really let go, even for her, but the choice was taken away from her. "One of my many talents," she replies, tucking the splinters of metal away somewhere on her person. "Very useful when I wanted to poach mochi from the kitchen... you'd think that such a heavily-used place wouldn't have a nightingale floor either."
She muses, actually, as she pulls out some braided nylon cord, black of course, cinching the uniform so it won't hinder combat performance, before adjusting the cap. She offers her teammate the nylon, because the uniforms really -don't- fit well. "Seems like the rest of the world's gotten involved, doesn't it?" she asks, knowing of course that 'soldiers' wouldn't be so chatty, but she can't help it.
She's barely halfway through her teens and she's infiltrating the military-industrial complex of one of the most dangerous men in the world. Who -wouldn't- be nervous?
Prophetically, perhaps, she answers Hotaru, "I think I'm worried that we're actually going to be mistaken for these guys... there're a lot of angry, powerful people that don't like Taizhou much right now..."
That uncouth mouth of the Good Doctor, Eagle rolls his eyes. A part of him wonders if it would have been better to have still been assigned to that flighty martial artist girl... what's her name? Where is she even now? What's she doing? ...Does it matter? (No. Let's just move on.)
"I'd have imagined someone of your, shall we say, talent and class could afford insults more... biting, less... infantile," Eagle tries to play down the amount of offense taken at these simplistic insults with British Eloquence(tm). It doesn't work. His eyes follow along where Tran's suddenly looking.
Indeed, there are suddenly enemy soldiers. That guard seemed awful reluctant to let him out until their supposed sponsor reassured what the exact problem was. Well, he's not uncertain of his (overconfident) ability to bedazzle and impress the masses with his technique. These soldiers, thus far, have been far less, shall we say, appreciative of what goes into his performances.
"Very well." Eagle says as he gets out the sticks from parts unmentioned (why weren't they confiscated?). He winces at the idea of putting that much more stress on the leg he hurt landing in Taizhou to begin with. Those two individuals over there look... particularly small. Young? Those uniforms are horrid fit for them. These people have such horrid fashion sense, even for soldiers!
Boosting off the ground with his stronger leg, he brings a stick over his head as if readying an overhead swing. He can't actually jump the full horizontal distance needed to actually strike them, but he can land with a (relatively) graceful crouch, his foot making a heavy step against the metallic floor as he looks up to try and meet them eye-to-eye(-to-eye? To-eyes?)
"If you two would so kindly stay where you are," he suggests politely only in choice of words to the both of them as he stands back straight up.
"Just have to last long enough to get outside the compound," Hotaru replies, sounding optimistic about their odds now. "I would definitely advise walking around anywhere else like this." She accepts the nylon offered and uses it to tighten up some of the excessively baggy portions as they move along. She takes Kurenai by the wrist to pull her into a side-route when she notices a patrol of 6 heading toward them. Best to play it safe by avoiding as many of the real soldiers as possible!
Releasing her hold on Kurenai, she nods slowly, "I don't think the rest of the world is going to let this chaos go on for too much longer. I can only imagine how things must look to everyone back home..." She exhales softly. Her late teenaged life seems to be nothing but war after war each year!
When Eagle springs into their immediate proximity, Hotaru freezes for a split second. They've been figured out?! Wait, that guy doesn't look like a soldier. But maybe he is? Is it worth stalling to find out? She side glances at Kurenai. There's no way she's going to get taken back to a cage peacefully. A slight nod is offered the canny ninja kid and then Hotaru springs into action herself. The quicker they manage to take out this fellow, the less likey they are to draw undesired attention!
Crouching slightly, the experienced martial artist springs toward Eagle only to land early in a low posture, feet far apart, arms out at her sides. Wordlessly, she tumbles forward at an angle, bringing her up on Eagle's left side. From that in-close position, both hands snap out, one going for his upper left arm, her other aiming to slam against his chest, as the smaller fighter tries to first shove him backward, using the palm on his chest to menace his balance. And then twist his arm, placing her leg in position, and attempting to pull him right back forward and send him face-down into the dirt, stifling any sort of battle cry to avoid getting the rest of the camp involved in what she hopes will be a very short skirmish!
COMBATSYS: Hotaru has started a fight here on the left meter side.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Eagle has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Eagle
COMBATSYS: Kurenai has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Kurenai 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Eagle
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Tran has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Kurenai 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Tran
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Eagle
"If I took more time to insult you, it might seem like I cared or had the slightest shred of respect for the guy who got me thrown in a shitbox." Maybe annoyed isn't quite the right word for whatever mood has taken Dr. Tran.
"You hear me? A box. Full of /scattered fecal matter/." It's not strong enough.
And then, somehow, Eagle makes everything even worse by being as Eagle as he can and not just knocking out the stupid guards so they can move on. Just who did Dr. Tran offend to deserve this? Was it God? Seishirou? It's preposterous, if anything they /owe/ him for a variety of transgressions past and present.
Still, if nothing else, the man is handy in a fight. And these are just two shmucks, right? Chinese soldiers or something, you can tell because they're so tiny they're almost as small as Tran is! This will be over in no time, surely.
"Just don't screw this up." The doctor jinxes it under his breath, anyway, just to ensure his own continued misery.
COMBATSYS: Tran takes no action.
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Kurenai 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Tran
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Eagle
She almost yelps, when Hotaru drags her down the side corridor, but she doesn't complain--she'd spotted the guards, too. But had been considering the best way to take them out. Unfortunately, as they say, out of the frying pan and into the fire--the fire of the English.
Stiff upper lip, huh? But Kurenai recognizes Eagle. She did, after all, share a Very Special Moment(tm) with him--namely fighting off three blood-crazed ninjas while falling at terminal velocity out of an orange-colored sky onto the land known as Taizhou. It's the kind of experience that creates everlasting bonds, like the kind used to make sure criminals don't escape.
Sorry," she says, hoping the military guise, an artificial roughening of her voice that's going to take at least a week of hot lemon tea to fix, and the circumstances will keep Eagle from recognizing her. "But we can't do that. We've got places to be, and we can't afford anyone getting in our way." Even as she's speaking, Hotaru is lunging forward, and in the relatively tight confines, Kurenai doesn't fancy getting in there and mixing it up alongside Hotaru. They'd probably do each other more harm than good.
But she -does- draw her weapon, readying herself to jump in if need be. "Make it quick!" she hisses at the kenpoist, half-turned to look for other dangers.
COMBATSYS: Kurenai calculates her next move.
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Kurenai 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Tran
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Eagle
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Eagle with Medium Throw.
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Kurenai 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Tran
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Eagle
Perhaps Eagle intends to bandy about dialogue with the Good Doctor in what could have become one of the best buddy cop movies based on a true story were it not for the fact they are simply not... buddies. Or cops.
But Dr. Tran knows how to call it as he sees it, his precision jynxing among the highest tier of jynxery, the likes of which have eluded the grasp and understanding of the many world powers and greatest martial artists.
Hotaru's quick, resolute action to subdue this maybe-kinda-who-knows threat is timely, knocking the air out of his chest with a quiet gasp and ultimately stumbling into the final toss as he headbutts the dirt. He could go for a renewal on tetanus shots right about now.
More importantly, the vaguely familiar voice he hears pieces of (even through the roughening of one's voice) in the process of being introduced face-down into the dirt is something he's unable to confirm a brief suspicion with on grounds of, say, having his face deep in the dirt. Anything he could curse or yell - if anything - is indeed muffled by having his face right in the dirt. There's a lot of things in life you miss out on for having your face deep in the dirt.
Rolling slowly into the kneel, Kurenai is out of his immediate field of vision. Lacking the foresight to try and look for her, unfortunately, prolongs something that could be prevented entirely. Something that may prove darkly humorous in hindsight!
If they live long enough to develop such, in one of the most dangerous places in the world to be right about now.
"So you don't mince words," he says to his short opponent in the baggy uniform as he rises to his feet. This is a life and death situation, where every strike, every maneuver counts towards living another day.
If it's your first inclination to suddenly stretch out your arms and spin towards your opponent, sticks out like some sort of helicopter against someone who may or may not be in position or the knowhow to have you killed or get you rotting in a cell for the rest of your short, miserable life...
You're either really sure of yourself or just managed to skirt the edges of Darwin's law. One of the two. Maybe even both.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru blocks Eagle's Manchester Black.
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Kurenai 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Tran
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Eagle
Her surprise-attack seems to have paid off. She even looks to follow it up with a second kick to stun the stranger more decisively. Against a typical soldier, it would probably be enough to debilitate them long enough for the two girls to continue the quick and immediate exeunt from the camp. This turns out to be no such ordinary foe, however, and the way her quick takedown only leaves him face down in the dirt for a moment too short to allow for a follow up makes that abundantly clear in short order.
He replies to her, pointing out that she doesn't seem to be interested in chatting, and the stern, focused blue-eyed look he gets in return suggests that that is in fact the case. All she wants is /out/ of here. "Yield," she urges, her voice kept low but hardly a whisper, as she encourages the man to step aside or risk further injury.
The helicoptering spinning motion that sends him back at her? That doesn't seem like yielding at all. In fact, it's pretty clearly an aggressive action back her way! Hotaru punches and kicks back into the spinning stick-strikes, keeping them from landing any clean blows in exchange for the glancing bruises she's likely to pick up for her trouble. There's another voice in the background that sounds familiar and there's a nagging sense in the back of her mind that she should be focusing on that more than the guy in front of her.
Grunting as she steps around the last of the spinning strikes, she attempts to slide in closer, bringing her knee up toward Eagle's ribs, possibly before he can pull his sticks back into the path of her strike. If she pulls it off, she follows by spinning on one foot in order to turn into a pair of slap-like strikes that swing from high to low in an attempt to drive him to the ground once again. Maybe she can get him to submit that way!
You have to be kidding. You have to be. Only one of the guards is even attacking, the other isn't even doing anything, and Eagle /still/ manages to get completely outmaneuvered within seconds? This is just sad. I mean, come on.
Although that little soldier sure has some moves. They're both all spinning and striking and basically going completely nuts. It would be impressive, if Dr. Tran weren't in a state of mind that more or less completely exclused the possibility of complimenting anybody, even inside his own head.
And hey, there's another one, too. Although he, because CLEARLY it is a he, isn't exactly what the doctor might expect, either. Where are the guns? The explosives? All in all, it's not shaping up to be a very exciting jailbreak.
Strolling up closer to Mystery Soldier B, Tran attempts to appear as completely disengaged from the situation as humanly possible, lest someone get the mistaken impression that he is going to be a civilized human being.
"God, what's with you military types? Always in a hurry, ooh, look at me, I've got places to be and I'm so important. Feh!" Despite his harsh words, Tran takes no action; perhaps this is a lesson learned from the last time somebody he thought was completely worthless tried to block his path. "Just go on, git, I cannot even begin to tell you how not in the mood for this I am right now."
Tran pauses, and sighs heavily, the sigh of a man who thinks the entire world is unjustly against him for no reason. "Not that you're going to listen, I can already tell."
COMBATSYS: Tran takes no action.
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Kurenai 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Tran
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Eagle
Well, she can't wait around forever. Knowing that Eagle is a powerful fighter, and Hotaru as well, still she can't let the two relative titans just duke it out. That benefits -none- of them... the longer the fight takes, the more likely it is the -real- guards will show up, or worse, the military... and if that happens, she and Hotaru are in Big Trouble(tm). So she sets herself, circling around the opposite direction from Hotaru--when she springs forward...
So will Kurenai, drawing her weapon back, keeping oddly silent, though her booted feet ring on the decking, unavoidably, giving Eagle at least some aural warning as to what's coming next. And what -is- coming next? Well, that would be Kurenai, reaching into a pocket and drawing a half-moon shape of wickedly edged metal, gleaming in the dim light. This is thrown at Eagle, but it's mainly a diversion, something to keeps his mind on what's incoming...
Instead of what's coming down for his head, her black bokken slashing downwards in a perfect decapitations attack as she falls from a near-silent leap. Of course, since she's wielding a wooden weapon, it probably won't kill him... but he might have trouble swallowing, or indeed moving his head, if -this- hits.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Eagle with Aggressive Strike.
- Power hit! -
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Kurenai 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Tran
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|======-\-------\0 Eagle
COMBATSYS: Eagle dodges Kurenai's Power Strike.
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Kurenai 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Tran
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Hotaru 0/-------/------=|======-\-------\0 Eagle
It is kind of hard to hear the request to 'yield.' Hotaru's voice, at least to Eagle's ears, would still have that sort of soft quality to it even after all the horrors she has been subject to. If he were even aware of them. He only ever really paid attention to the beginnings and endings of major news stories and whether or not they were doing lip service charity performances for him to take place in. The differences in their strength and character are vast, expressed eloquently through Hotaru's swift and meaningful offense in comparison to the showy, even silly maneuvers Eagle has displayed thus far.
Those initial parrying strikes nearly throw off his balance towards the end, a very slight stumble at the end that aligns itself with the rising knee that, were he on top of his game, probably could have simply swayed to avoid. Not that there's much room to contemplate this when Hotaru is awarded with a shower of spittle for that initial blow, the follow-up strikes shoving him none-so-gracefully onto his bum moments after he feels that little hum, that little tell.
Stains and dirt don't show up as well on black slacks, but given the collective abuse his top has taken in his time here, the increasing damage and dirtiness of his wardrobe has become something of a sore spot.
He should be thankful, instead, that falling onto his bum is what causes the would-be decapitation attack (were that sword, say, sharp and edged and not a bokken) to just breeze over his head - and land a little too close to arm's length.
With a labored grunt - a grunt that shows legitimate effort and trouble, not the usual sort of rise of someone trying to put on an entertaining show in perfectly measured, carefully rehearsed steps - he tries to wrap his left arm around Kurenai as he stands, attempting to culminate with a simple headlock.
He clears his throat while he sucks back in his breath, bringing down the other stick towards hat-bearing head - assuming, of course, she even allows him this.
The events of the Jinchuu tournament have, more than once, forced Hotaru to operate at peak levels of skill above and beyond typical performance for the already skilled martial artist. It may very well be the cause of her swift, decisive action against her mistaken foe, as her combination attacks are unleashed in rapid succession, leaving little room for Eagle to correct from the first gap in his defenses that the girl has capitalized on.
As she completes her combination, Hotaru ends in a low stance, arms out at her sides, one foot slid far in front of her, while she balances on her left foot, knee bent completely. He doesn't yield as she had so helpfully suggested he ought, but rather turns to swing for her cohort in this daring escape?! Well, Hotaru can't certainly leave Kurenai in the clutches of this unorthodox soldier, now can she?
From her low stance, Hotaru is at just the right angle to make a sweeping lunge with her right arm, attempting to hook Eagle's nearest ankle with her hand at right about the same time he goes for her younger schoolmate. Should she connect, she'll attempt to pull his foot up, out from under him while simultaneously stepping in to sweep his other foot with her leg. The end result will be an unpleasant but quick trip back to the ground, with the Kenpo artist spinning back up to standing and delivering a breath-stealing kick with her heel while also trying to shove Eagle far enough away as to disengage him entirely from being able to swing for Kurenai.
The swift sequence takes but a split second to execute, but the impact it carries may be significant. However, upon completion, Hotaru pauses, the voice of the other 'soldier' finally registering as being not just familiar but a known (if he can ever possibly actually be /known/) quantity in the from of the famous Doctor Tran. By the completion of her attack - or perhaps even in the midst of it - the girl is already looking toward Tran with an incredulous expression, "What is this? Are you working with /them/ now??"
COMBATSYS: Eagle successfully hits Kurenai with Head Cracker.
- Power hit! -
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Kurenai 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Tran
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\1 Eagle
"Yeeeeeep. Yep." Looking down and to the side, Dr. Tran begins to nod slowly to himself. "Yeeeeeeeeep." Maybe that guy just didn't realize he was being talked to. Really, nobody's at fault. It's just one of those things that happens.
Although for the record it's totally Eagle's fault. One hundred percent. One day, there /will/ be a reckoning.
Before that, there is a far more immediate reckoning to deal with, however. Nobody blows off Dr. Richard 'Pay Attention To Me' Tran and gets away with it, no matter how oblivious they may or may not be.
"GOD DAMN IT!" With a hearty cry, uncaring of consequences, Tran slides across the ground, as though propelled by sheer spite, right toward the melee. One foot is held high, ready to come crashing down on Kurenai's head no matter where it may or may not be in the wake of Eagle's maneuovre (goddamn brits) and pin it unyieldingly to the ground like some kind of...ruffian. Unfortunately, right as he closes in, a complication arises in the form of a naggingly familiar voice.
"Wait, what? Who...?" Too late to stop now, though.
COMBATSYS: Kurenai counters Strong Kick from Tran with Hell's Rejection.
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Kurenai 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Tran
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|=======\-------\1 Eagle
Well, the hat's gone now; Kurenai gets -stuck-, inconcievably, a piece of clothing caught in a seam or something. She frees herself, but it's just in time to have Eagle wrap her in a headlock... and then slam that stick into her head. She cries out in pain and consternation, the stolen hat dropping away and revealing her pink hair. That hair -is- distinctive, though it's not in its usual puffball style--slicked down with sweat and necessity. Still, Eagle might recognize her.
That isn't going to matter to her, though--to her mind, now, Eagle simply represents an obstacle. He stands between her and freedom... she's prepared to do -whatever it takes- to get the hell out of here. She has, by and large, failed her mission here. But she won't fail Yurika-dono, or her elders, by failing to get out. Though the whack to the head leaves her dizzy, paradoxically, it clears her thought processes some--and just in time. She feels something--a shift in the air, Tran's voice echoing weirdly, -something-.. and almost without looking she brings her wooden blade down then lunges upwards. She lunges upwards... just as Tran descends, and, well, he's lucky that she's not wielding live steel. As it is, he has a tempered hardwood, steel-reinforced, chisel-pointed bokken tip thrust straight into his privates, the attack momentarily leaving Kurenai posed like Mark Hamill on those Star Wars posters.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru successfully hits Eagle with Combo Grapple.
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Kurenai 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Tran
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|=======\==-----\1 Eagle
"Well then," Eagle attempts to renew the verbal offense of polite demands after that solid, convincing strike against the other tiny soldier's scalp. the high-pitched cry is a little disarming, as is that sudden glimpse of bright pink hair. It's not quite as disarming as Dr. Tran sliding towards the two of them, necessitating him to take what /he/ himself thinks would be a relatively slick step back away from both the pink-haired individual and the AMERICAN love fantasy of pretty much anyone and everyone whose blood is colored red.
He doesn't get the opportunity to see how Kurenai renders such an offense on Tran's part null (if not every offensive part, such as his demeanor), for he largely steps into Hotaru's ankle grab.
"ShaaaAH!" A polite query finds itself never asked, interrupted mid-first-word as his leg is lifted up and the other kicked right out from under him with a wince - having to balance on his more injured leg, for however brief, is not high on his to-do list, and really that sweep follow-up to the lift in regards to keeping said weight off that leg is really a boon.
The final strike of the combination, the solid heel to his chest, cannot really be viewed successfully through any rose-tinted glasses as she manages to crack a rib and send him skidding back into a dirty wall. A dirty wall that shudders and shakes off some of the accumulated grime on his person. Especially his face. It's in his eyes! He coughs in a hardly successful bid to return oxygen to his depleted lungs, trying to rub away dirt in his teary left eye with his forearm.
What do they even feed to people that size these days? He's matched (carefully performed and arranged) fights with gymnasts and judo experts here and there, but there's really something about that one over there. Certainly a step above those few that tried to subdue him /in/ the club when the rioting broke out.
At least two steps.
The air is so incredibly dirty here it just makes the process of getting back his breath that greater a labor, resigned to do little more than observe how things are going with Tran and the rest of them. Now, that pink hair, where did he see it... that other one, do they already know the Doctor?
(...Who doesn't know Dr. Tran?)
COMBATSYS: Eagle takes no action.
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Kurenai 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Tran
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Hotaru 0/-------/-------|=======\==-----\1 Eagle
That her chosen target landed a severe blow against her teammate is something Hotaru definitely noticed and she even spares a split second's thought to chide herself for not acting just a bit faster to be able to prevent it all together. But by the time her own technique is executed, there's distance between Eagle and the two of them. And Tran..., well the less considered there, the better. But one thing is for sure to her by now. They're not dealing with conscripts of the military - or if they /are/, they don't seem to be in any real danger from them.
Standing up straight and lowering her hands, Hotaru drops her fighting stance all together. Sharp, blue eyes settle on Eagle for a long moment, then glance back to Tran, then back to Eagle. "Wait," she gestures toward Kurenai, "I don't think..." her tone is still soft, but there is an unmistakable edge of sheepishness creeping in. "...these two are trying to stop us from escaping."
Survival instinct suggests that the two of them run, press on quickly, try to vacate the camp all together before things get any more disasterous than they already have. On the other hand, she just kicked the crap out of someone she mistakenly assumed was going to jeopardize their escape, and now he might not be quite up to escaping as quickly as he might have otherwise been. Tran has probably seen better days too.
Hotaru exhales softly, "You two are trying to break out of here too? Maybe we should go together..." She looks worriedly toward Eagle. They might need the help. Taking a few steps, she scoops up Kurenai's hat and extends it to the girl.
COMBATSYS: Hotaru takes no action.
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Kurenai 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Tran
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/-------|=======\==-----\1 Eagle
Even the most novice of fighters can tell you that in a fight, the worst thing you can do is lose your focus. A distraction at the wrong time can be crippling.
His head turned toward Hotaru, Tran doesn't even get to watch as he gets nailed square in the nuts. There's a short squeal that goes from low to high pitch in an instant, and then he freezes. His entire body tensed, still, with one leg still lifted high in the air, it almost looks as though someone took the time to create a life-like statue of Dr. Tran, which is a sensible thing to assume since it's hard to think of a more tasteful decoration.
Hotaru especially might notice that his eyes seem to have rolled completely up into his skull, since he was looking right at her at the time of the incident, and possibly for the rest of the time. Or maybe just until his head starts to shiver as he forcefully pulls it back into a natural position, entire body shaking as he returns to a more relaxed state through sheer force of will.
"You're...rrrg. Little short for a stormtrooper." With one last, heavy exhalation, it seems like Dr. Tran has at last returned to normal. Taking a wary step back from Kurenai, giving her and her pink hair an especially evil eye, he continues, "I like how you're in the uniforms, and we were the ones trying to stop /you/ from escaping. Choke and die."
The doctor pauses, and without forfeiting his irritated expression manages to sound at least a /little/ forgiving. "That's what I'd like to say, but I'm kind of in a hurry, thanks to a CERTAIN SOMEONE WHO I WILL NOT NAME BUT YOU JUST BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF HIM A LITTLE HE'S EAGLE, IT'S HIM." Very little.
"If it would get me out of this pit faster, I'd even team up with a couple of...school..." At this point, Tran realizes who he's talking to and shuts his mouth, lips very firmly pursed.
COMBATSYS: Tran takes no action.
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Kurenai 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Tran
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/-------|=======\==-----\1 Eagle
Well, damn. Maybe she should apologize. Then again, Tran -was- trying to stomp the back of her head through her face; for that she has little sympathy, even for a much-abused set of meat and veg like Tran's. Adrenaline still pumping, the ninja is wide-eyed for a second, trembling, not -quite- recovered from having Eagle bash her head. But she seems to shake out of it quickly enough... at least to the point of taking her hat back from Hotaru. She doesn't put it on straight away, though--waiting to see how things turn out.
When it looks like things might be calming down, she slides her weapon back into place on her back and reaffixes her hat. "Well, if we're going to do this, we might as well do it right." She surveys her uniform, patting herself down absently. "Where is--where... ah." She produces that nylon rope, and brandishes it at Tran and Eagle, with a little grin to Hotaru. Her eyes go from slightly unfocused to mischievous in a moment or two.
"Ever watched Star Wars?" she asks, as she draws a couple of lengths of that nylon rope, slicing two lengths off. "Since we, that is, Hotaru-san and I, have the uniforms, you two will have to be our prisoners. That way we have a good cover story and it isn't just English Guy and Short Round and two guards..." Of course, they have to agree to do it, first, but what else can they come up with under the circumstances?
COMBATSYS: Kurenai takes no action.
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Kurenai 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Tran
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/-------|=======\==-----\1 Eagle
The three of them are all of a sudden having a nice and perfectly civil discussion all of a sudden. It is good that the hallway is - if maybe only for the next couple of moments, depending on the patrols that would surely be patrolling around this sector soon enough - quiet enough there's nothing new to suddenly distract the whole lot of them from a very important truth before them.
Eagle, for his part, is still trying to catch his breath after that last skillful combination. There's no real surfaces to, say, grab onto. He has to make due with pushing himself up with his sticks, even as one of them sinks a ways into the dirt under how hard he pushes against it for some sort of support. He winces once as he bends a particular knee.
"So... did we make a mistake?" His face sours a little at Dr. Tran screaming his name, as though it were all completely and totally his fault (yes, it really was Eagle's fault), catching up on the conversation as he limps along back to the four of them. one stick is at his side, the other, resting on a shoulder. He clears his throat again, which for the moment will have to go in place for a proper apology for threatening them to begin with. Fully realized courtesy is more for when cameras are rolling, you see!!
"Star Wars... ah, yes." He almost got a part in Episode III, did you know? That fell through thanks to a misunderstanding on what that part actually would have entailed (very little more than a cameo). That brought a very swift end to a possible movie career before it even began. "If that gets us out of this shithole," you heard him use it, gutter lnguage, "I'm all for it."
"More importantly, if... if we're all in agreement of this mistake," he coughs again, "I agree that... hm, yes, maybe I would look the part of a recaptured prisoner," he looks to Hotaru. This one, he should be careful with if he's ever arranged in some sort of performance with them - knowing full well what she's capable of, "given how you've, shall we say, worked me over. If I may suggest, however..."
Your suffering is not yet over, Dr. Tran.
"If you're going for realism, I do say he could use another few lumps, hm?" After all, it was his fault for suggesting they attack to begin with. He works up a little smirk as he turns his back over to Kurenai.
COMBATSYS: Eagle takes no action.
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Kurenai 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Tran
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Hotaru 0/-------/-------|=======\==-----\1 Eagle
Well, at least things have calmed down quickly amongst these four. While Eagle may hold Tran responsible for getting him into the unnecessary scuffle to begin with, it was also the fact that he was with Tran that got Hotaru to halt her swift, decisive attempts to incapacitate him before 'things got more out of hand'. Now they're offering to work together so that all four of them might escape whatever miserable fate awaited them in the compound.
Kurenai produces nylon rope and Hotaru wonders, briefly, where the kid seems to be keeping all that stuff she keeps pulling out at the most opportune of moments. It pays to travel with someone so well prepared in an out of control, ninja warzone, she decides. The suggestion of a prison escort is made and the Kenpo artist nods her head slightly. It might work... as long as no one they have to get past wonders too hard about the blatently small statured soldiers the military seems to have brought in for the 'Taizhou Situation.'
"I'm very sorry about that," she replies to Eagle, resting a hand at the back of her neck, the sheepish regret quite readable in her voice. Maybe she should have exercised more certain restraint... but in places like this, hesitation can make a significant difference with regards to success or failure. And if Hotaru is one thing, she's a suvivor, willing to take the steps necessary to escape from such an awful situation. All she can do now is apologize for taking one aggressive step too many.
Tran is regarded with a shake of her head and faint glimmer of a smile. She always runs into the renown 'Doctor' at the strangest of places. Eagle suggests that Tran doesn't look roughed up enough, and the girl takes one long, careful look at the short American... then shakes her head. No way is she going to take the chance of rousing Tran's anger with a smack or two, even if it was in theory 'for show!'
"All right, let's get out of here. I think the military is itching to march down the streets any time now. I'd hate to still be in the region when that happens." It was bad enough when it was just crazy ninjas. But now crazy ninjas AND an organized military fighting each other? No thanks! She leaves any rope tying to the resourceful Kurenai, taking a moment to straighten and tuck in her own uniform as best she can. "Well then."
"Did I ever...oh my god, did you not just hear me talking about stormtroopers? /Everybody/ has seen Star Wars, there are /laws/ about just this sort of thing, girl." Now that the /important/ things have been said, Dr. Tran is free to offer his massive pool of wisdom and expertise to the proposed plan.
"ANYWAY. I like it. Especially the part about beating the prisoner to look more authentic." It is perhaps an unusual response, considering both who is speaking and obvious feelings for the people who have suggested the whole plan in the first place. Then the other shoe drops.
"Alright, girls, start taking off your clothes." He pauses, looking them over distastefully. "I know, it's not pleasant for any of us, but ask yourselves this." He glares at Kurenai especially as he continues. "Who do you think would look more convincing in uniform? You two, a pair of teenage girls? Or two /actual men/, myself and the career.../actor/, over there?" The word actor is choked with disgust, yet Tran manages to finish his little spiel without further incident.
Kurenai snorts. "Don't you know sarcasm when you hear it? Must be those cauliflower ears of yours, my god, what happened to you? You look like you got boxed by someone with wrecking balls for hands." Pause. "O...or is that how you normally look? I mean, I haven't really met you before this so I don't know if that sour, pinched look is normal..."
And then Tran. Oh, Tran. "If you think I'm going to strip for -your- sake, you can forget it. This is a ninja compound, how many high school aged girls do you think they have in uniform? _Tons_. You'd stand out more because you'd look like an -ugly- girl in uniform, kind of like that Meatball character from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Sheesh. Get a -grip-, man. There's no time for us to be stripping because you're secretly hot for our nubile young bodies."
As she talks, she's wrapping Eagle's wrists with the cording, making it look quite secure. But, she runs an extra length, securing a loop around Eagle's belt. Taking her attention from Tran, she instructs the Briton, "You can pull to either side, these won't let go. But if you really need your hands, pull away from you, and the knots will come loose. Okay?"
With a wide grin, she turns to Tran. "Okay, it's your turn, Short Round... or should I call you Data?" Ah, she's certainly going to endear herself to Tran this way, isn't she?
Log created on 22:08:02 07/12/2010 by Eagle, and last modified on 01:31:58 10/09/2010.