Description: Mosi-oa-Tunya, "the Smoke that Thunders" -- better known to others around the world as Victoria Falls. At a total height of 360 feet, it is one of the largest waterfalls in the world -- a place that serves as the perfect proving grounds for the fresh-faced and determined Mountain Lions Team, and an appropriately symbolic setting for the thunderously furious Team Wrestlefiends! Fighting at the water rapids, will the Mountain Lions be able to prove their strength? Will Team Wrestlefiends be able to infuse even the great Victoria with their overwhelming WRESTLER'S SPIRIT?! Or... will they both succumb to nature's fury?! (WINNER: Wrestlefriends)
Cammy arrives from elsewhere.
Victoria Falls. One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. And yet, even this magnificent location, can barely hold a candle to the epic conflict which is due to take place here. For this is the King of Fighters Tournament. There is no finer venue for great teams of fighters to pitch themselves against one another. Whether they fight for noble or dark purpose, whether they fight to prove something to themselves, or to the world. Friendships have been forged which will last lifetimes in this tournament. And here, now, the fate of two of those teams would be decided.
Zangief stands tall. Seven feet of intimidating wrestler clad from head to toe in red silk. Zangief is wearing a cape fastened tight over his traditional trunks and bodyhair uniform. His back is turned to the cameras, even to his own teammates. Instead, he is looking out at the tons of water cascading down. It is really an inspiring sight. Even if the sweltering heat of Africa is so different to the icy wasteland he called home... his spirit is roaring! There will be a titanic struggle here! Now! The way of WRESTLING will be proven superior, as the first stepping stone on securing the tournament for himself, and his wrestling comrades!
It's enough to bring tears of joy to his eyes. Finally, a good, honest fight! Is there any pleasure in life greater than two men ready to give it their all?
It is impossible to put in writing how heavy this morning is going to be weighing on one Howard Rust's shoulders after a not terribly restful night before. The excitement eclipses that of when he made his debut into the fighting world against Zach Glen on the Neo League. Someone sent him an invite to King of Fighters 2011, by far among the most prestigious of tournaments... rivaled only by World Warrior. Someone believed he could be one of the greats.
The question is, can he believe himself to be one of the greats?
Compared to the great majesty that is Zangief before the roar of one of nature's greatest sights, Howard Rust is ragged-looking. His combover is especially unconvincing today, there's a certain tiredness in his eyes... and yet, he walks forward for his team to the point of battle after spending much of the morning in a bit of a fuss in making sure every little preparation was ready. He is a very stout fellow, but stands just a little under six feet and does not boast Zangief's grand physique.
On his left hip, Ol' Rusty - something that might make Ryo and Takuma - and Yuri in person - wonder why he's brought it. He is a Kyokugen student now. They have no need for weapons compared to the sheer might they can bring to the table. He has grown past the need for Ol' Rusty, hasn't he?
His right hand, though its grip is not as strong as it used to be thanks to that injury from the invasion, grasps the makeshift hilt. "Zangief," he says as he stands before the roar of the falls, the feeling of mist washing over the field of battle, "name's Howard Rust," he starts. "I represent the Mountain Lions as, as its captain," he clears his throat, "and a man whose waited all his life for, for this day."
He bows his head once and tugs Ol' Rusty out from its toolbelt pocket cleanly. It dares not struggle against its master's hold this go around, sure to collect more rust from the moisture in the air as he raises it up to the sky - too rusty to get any sort of shiny reflection, but he gives it one good look with a squint... and nods.
At long last, it's time for the two to show their own worth against a veritable legend of the wrestling circuit.
Pointing Ol' Rusty behind him, he leans forward with his left foot in front and his left forearm in front of him horizontally, flexing his fingers. "And, and I'm gonna go at this like it's, it's the last fight I'll ever get."
For all he knows, this could indeed be the case - and it shows in his eyes, as tired as he may appear from a somewhat restless night.
Ayame arrives from elsewhere.
Gen arrives from elsewhere.
Zach is grinning a bit as Rust makes his entrance. He doesn't need to get Rust psyched up, the guy's done it on his own. His eyes are firmly planted on Zangief. Should Rust fall, Zach is next in the line-up. He needs to at least see the Red Cyclone in action before even /thinking/ about facing that monster.
Zach gives a slight chuckle when he realizes that he is not really considering the idea that Rust would lose. The dude's tougher than all hell. If any of the Mountain Lions can stand up to that World Warrior, it would have to be Rust Howard. "GET 'ER DONE, RUST!" Zach yells at his teammate.
There are many in the world who have learned to fear Zangief's terrible wrath. Across Russia, he has beaten and broken countless criminals. He has squared off against some of the nastiest fighters in the world, and he has done it all with a fury that few could match. There is, however, another side to Zangief. The side which organizes fights to help children learn the meaning of Christmas. The side which earnestly yearns to prove himself as the greatest wrestler of all time, for the sheer joy of the sport. Not just so that he can protect his beloved nation, or the people who need him.
In one, smooth motion, the mighty wrestler has spun on the spot, and his cape is sent hurtling into the air. His full, scarred mass laid bare as the fine red garment is swept away on the tide. He is huge. He is scary. But he is also smiling broadly, stomping towards Rust in his big, rubber boots, to offer one, massive hand to the smaller, older fighter.
"I, AM ZANGIEF, THE RED CYCLONE!" He booms, so loud that he might just whip some of Rust's combover around on his head. Completely unintentionally. "I REPRESENT TEAM WRESTLEFIENDS!" Whether Rust has taken his hand or not, by this point, the huge Russian's smile has only grown. If he /has/ taken his hand, it will be shaken, before being held up into the air towards the closest camera.
"I am proud to be fighting you, Mr. Howard Rust! I will also give you my best! For glorious Mother Russia, and the hopes of all the little childrens who are waiting to see me triumph! Let's make it a good, clean fight for the peoples at home, yes?!"
Say what you like about Zangief, he is gifted with a certain, boundless enthusiasm. Genuinely looking forward to the fight, even if he didn't know who this strange man with the bad hair and the pipe is. Isn't that half the fun of a tournament?!
Quon watches from the sidelines. After all, as one of the two alternates on the Mountain Lions he won't be able to participate. At the very least, he can come out and support his team mate.
Even if he doesn't get to participate, Quon will be paying attention. He needs to in case they move on and he needs to pay attention because chances like this don't come very often. "C'mon, Mr. Rust! Show 'em what you're made of!"
It's this scene that would show the world that the days of the Cold War has long since passed. There's no mistaking the sheer intimidation value of Zangief's booming voice, a voice that doesn't need a microphone to be heard next to the roaring falls.
Mr. Rust stands resolute to this wall of might and intimidation, as it gives way to the softer declaration of being proud to fight him - for glorious Mother Russia, and the hopes of all the little childrens. Mr. Rust would like to say he's fighting for the children too, but... no matter how you slice it, he's a schoolteacher who has taken a leave of absence for what is largely completely selfish reasons.
Mr. Rust moves the pipe to his left hand in order to free up his right, and steps forward without hesitation to take Zangief's hand. Although Zangief has almost certainly never met a grip as strong as his, the handshake is unmistakably somewhat weak on Rust's part - is his strength not up to the par of the Red Cyclone's by a factor of two or even three? No matter how hard Zangief may squeeze in earnest, the shop teacher goes through with the whole handshake motion.
"I'm just, I'm just ready and waiting," he says as he clears his throat. As Zach and Quon give their support, he turns back to them and gives them a nod.
They want a chance too, in their own ways. If he can beat Zangief, then they may pull off the win - in a lot of ways, many things about this fight is going to be resting entirely on his shoulders.
The officials are about ready to start things, to signal fighters to their proper standing positions even if their commands may be a little hard to hear this close to the falls.
Zangief nods solemnly to Rust's words. Letting his hand fall back to his side. He's used to shaking the hands of people far weaker than himself. But, he's also learned the hard way that just because someone is a 'little man' that doesn't mean that they are not a threat. Although, it must be said, Rust does not look much like any NESTs or Shadaloo experiment that Zangief has ever run across before. He's much more polite than them, too.
Be that as it may, politeness only gets you so far in the fighting world. Without another word, Zangief starts stomping his way back towards his starting position. As the first out on the King of Fighters stage for the Wrestlefiends, there is undoubtedly a lot of pressure riding on Zangief, too. But, Zangief has had a great deal of experience coping with pressure, and he has very broad shoulders to let it weigh on. ... He's also taken a /huge/ amount of blows to the head over the years. Whatever the case, he does not look nearly as worried as Rust.
Instead, he works a kink out of his neck, stretches his arms, and then settles into his stance, arms raised, knees slightly bent, waiting for the signal for the fight to begin.
Duolon arrives from elsewhere.
Takuma arrives from elsewhere.
On the televised end of things, portraits of those fighting today are seen in orange circles against a bright white backdrop - with cyan coloring surrounding the declared leaders Howard Rust and the Red Cyclone. '1st,' '2nd,' and '3rd' are appended to the appointed fighters in the order they are expected to appear, a female voice echoing through some introductions whose accent suggests that English is very, very much a second language for her.
-- MOSI-OA-TUNYA: 10:37--
The camera falls upon Howard Rust and Zangief standing on their sides. For his part, Mr. Rust is doing one last stretch with one of his legs to work out a kink. It's a pretty loud joint pop.
"ROUND 1!" That same female voice calls. "READY... GO!"
It is with that, that all obnoxious (if stylistic) banners transposed atop the live action go away, where the mist of the nearby falls rises from behind where the two fighters stand. The footing is a little dangerous, but that is just how tournament organizers like it when they're looking at the single most high-profile tournament in a good long while.
And so, it begins!!
Zangief has the appearance of a big, slow behemoth. This is because he is, a big, slow behemoth. However, he is also an accomplished fighter, and he has been waiting for that GO!
So when the woman says "GO!" Go is precisely what Zangief does. Pounding the ground underneath his big red boots, he hurls himself forwards across the intervening distance between himself and Rust like a tidal wave of meat. Completely uncaring about how precarious his balance is next to the waterfall. Who cares about a little thing like plummeting to your death? This is KING OF FIGHTERS! He who dares, wins!
At the last moment, the huge wrestler is suddenly spinning on his axis. Both his arms outstretched as wide as they can be, all of his might put into the circular motion. The time for talking is over! Which makes it the time for that thing that Zangief loves so much. No, not borscht.
Violence!
Unless Rust is very fast indeed, he'll be learning more about Zangief's love of violence, as his fists hammer around, aiming to crash straight into the smaller man, and slam him two, three, four times! Oh, wait, there is one word which naturally has to accompany this opening gambit.
"ORA!"
COMBATSYS: Zangief has started a fight here.
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Zangief 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Rust has joined the fight here.
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Rust 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Zangief
COMBATSYS: Rust blocks Zangief's Double Lariat.
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Rust 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Zangief
When they say 'go,' Mr. Rust - despite being slow of foot - is earnest on pushing the offense, to take the fight to Zangief whom has already decided to start - smartly - by swinging his fists outward. It goes without saying that the smaller man nearly rams his head into those spinning fists.
"Gah!" It's force of habit now, raising up his left forearm and tensing it so tightly that he himself tenses up like a statue. It's amazing as to how well that mere forearm of a smaller man does against the spinning, heavy fists of Zangief. The stance is so solid that Zangief, in his spin, might putter off a little in the opposite direction - the defensive stance is about as solid as any can get against overwhelming power like Zangief's.
The downside being... well, now he's stiff, and the balance is precarious. It takes nothing short of sheer force of will for him to try and move again, his joints crackling loudly and disconcertingly as he takes Ol' Rusty in both hands, raising it up slightly in what might be seen, purely, as an accidental telegraph.
"Gotta, gotta hit harder 'n, 'n that," the teacher wheezes out as he points the end in his right hand forward while holding to the back in his left, driving it down towards thigh-level with such incredible force despite fighting his body's stiffness that air compresses around the tip that he tries to drive into the mighty Red Cyclone himself.
COMBATSYS: Zangief interrupts Deep Strike from Rust with Brutal Throw Chain.
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Rust 0/-------/--=====|==-----\-------\0 Zangief
Zangief would be lying if he said he is unimpressed. Quick enough to defend himself from the initial attack, and it doesn't seem like he managed to do an awful lot! Rust is even quipping! This, gets the Red Cyclone's blood up. Hit him harder? Very well! He could do that!
The crazed Russian actually steps /into/ the blow. The crushing force of it crashes heavily into his thigh, but at an angle rather than dead on. The Red Cyclone refuses to be stopped. Instead, one of those meaty hands reaches down and snares the unfortunate teacher's wrist. He had said he would give it his all, and he is a man of his word.
Rust is wrenched into the sky, and brought crashing into the earth in a painful fireman's lift. But it doesn't stop there. Instead, Zangief scoops him up, lifts him over his head, and brings him down a second time flat on his back. One, final move has the teacher suffering a powerbomb which literally shakes the earth with the force of it, before the Red Cyclone stands up again.
And pats at his thigh, grunting. "Do you not know, Comrade? Nothing, can stop the Red Cyclone!" The angry red spot on his leg does, at least, show that Rust did /hurt/ him. But compared to the utterly brutal assault of wrestling prowess which had followed, this is likely cold comfort indeed.
He is so going to wish in retrospect that he didn't goad on the Red Cyclone.
Pipe finds purchase in leg, and through his arms he can feel how hard he just hit this man - about as hard as he could manage, but there's a time for worry when he feels something heavy squeezing on one of his wrist. Something a little tug doesn't free him from--
The older man's eyes go wide when he's hurled into the air, and hurled back down where his body fractures the earth where the two precariously stand (and probably his own body, as well), hoisted onto Zangief's back where he struggles uselessly to free himself. He is a man who knows how to take a fall - but it only goes far against someone who knows how to hold, lift, carry, toss, and /slam/ someone, as he finds out when he is powerbombed into the very gdound, his upper back and the back of his noggin become slightly embedded into the ground. Dazedly, he stares up and thinks, man, that last one, I could've kicked him in the face.
"Grughblegelgrh," comes one of Hoawrd's famous bizarre strings of consonants as he has to hoist himself up out of that tiny crater, lest he be called out of the fight right on the get-go to Zangief's reassurance that nothing can stop the Red Cyclone. Nothing can stop it, he says, something he needs to find a way to put to the test.
"Y-Yeah," he mutters weakly as he's put in a tactical corner... wait. Taking Ol' Rusty in both hands, he tries to jab it into Zangief's sole piece of clothing that actually keeps him decent, in an attempt to get some leverage to hoist him up and toss him a ways away. Zangief's a heavy fellow, sure, and it might take him both his arms to keep his hold on the pipe and Zangief stable, but...
Howard Rust is a man who once dead-lifted a blast door open.
COMBATSYS: Zangief endures Rust's Wrecking Ball Swing.
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Rust 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Zangief
Zangief's eyes bulge comically when he is jabbed in the groin. Lifted, for a moment, he finds himself the victim of gravity. This, is not a comfortable position to be in! No /Sir/ this is not a comfortable position to be in at all!
When he hits the earth, though, it is not, entirely, clean. Zangief gets riled rather easily. One might say this is a character defect, were it not for the fact that as he gets more and more pissed off, he tends to beat people down in more and more horrible ways. There is a part of him, though, that has to admire the fact that Rust, through sheer grit, has managed to hoist him into the air. This is not something many people can say.
Zangief has a strange way of showing respect.
Right now, for instance, he intends to show it by grabbing Rust's shoulder, and, literally, flipping him upside down. This is the start of something the 'childrens' back home have surely been waiting on. Best to share it now, rather than keep them on the edges of their seats!
"HAH!!!"
If the grab is successful, Rust will find his head, poor haircut and all, being crammed between Zangief's thighs. That'll teach him to jab the Red Cyclone in his shorts! Leaping into the air, God only knows how Zangief manages to steer the pair of them, rather than wind up plummeting down the waterfall to his certain doom. But he does. With a mighty battlecry of "ORAAAAA!" He'll aim to bring Rust's terrible combover smashing back down into the small crater the pair had formed just moments ago.
COMBATSYS: Rust endures Zangief's Screw Piledriver.
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Rust 1/----===/=======|=====--\-------\0 Zangief
Zach's focus softens a bit at the abuse that Rust is suffering at the hands of the Red Cyclone. He clenches a fist that starts to bleed off a faint trace of violet soul power as he watches.
Human beings, thankfully, weigh less than their equivalent in steel, but this man grits his teeth and fights for every inch and moment that Zangief is in the air in an attempt to hoist him back into the earth. His knee sinks into the ground underneath the effort, which is a really bad place to be.
Not quite as bad as the meaty hand on his shoulder, but still pretty bad.
"Oh no." The man murmurs under his breath as he tugs back to try and break himself out of Zangief's bear trap hands. Nothing can escape those with anything resembling ease, and Mr. Rust... just... doesn't quite have the chops for out-muscling Zangief's hold as he's flipped upside down. Zach has every reason to start looking worried here.
"Mmph!" The older man gasps as his head is stuck between those meaty, sweaty thighs as he is lifted into the air and spinning. This makes him extremely dizzy, what with the blood rushing to his head in that grip. One of his legs feels around to the extent he has movement with them in Zangief's grip.
Maybe that's this technique's weakness, if he can just--
He doesn't do it before they hit the earth, his upper back and head once again given way to extreme blunt trauma. A part of him already feels faint, but his teeth are grit. God damn it I am not going home a loser after three or four of these things, he resolves as he wills his left foot to do his bidding.
HIs bidding is to start kicking Zangief in the face somewhat rapid-fire much, much too soon by most expectations for anyone after suffering the trademark Screw Piledriver, wasting no time in using Ol' Rusty to boost him up to a steady position if he can get Zangief on the defensive.
COMBATSYS: Zangief blocks Rust's Man At Work.
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Rust 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 Zangief
"Gen'ei Kyaku!!" He calls out of tradition between the really awkward transition of 'kicking like hell while upside down' up to 'kicking normally,' a whole wave of those rapid-fire kicks that belies his usual movement speed - one of the big things of what he has been taught so far by his time in Kyokugen.
Though it may not seem like it's really turning any /tides/ in this movement, he follows through with the whole array best he can, finishing with a final straight kick.
Zangief is, at least, put heavily on the defensive by Rust's onslaught of kicks. Every instinct he has tells him that he doesn't want to risk ploughing through the onslaught of kicks. So, the large man stumbles backwards a step, and then he digs his boot into the earth. Both arms come up, crossed over his upper torso, and he moves and shifts enough that, although Rust hammers into him, he mostly beats into those powerful forearms. The final kick sends a shuddering jolt through the larger man, and he exhales.
"Not bad, Comrade!" He declares, "But, I am afraid, not good enough to topple me!"
Swinging around on the spot, Zangief punctuates this with a sudden, brutal kick. The bright white sole of his boot aiming to smash into the side of Rust's head, and bring him to the ground.
The Red Cyclone does not stop there, but, if he has been successful, he will follow it up with a second kick with his left foot, whilst Rust is still on the floor. Shaken and determined to keep going until he was absolutely certain Rust is not getting back up again, Zangief presses the attack as swiftly as he can. Rust /had/ managed to stop the continual tide of attacks for a moment, and from experience, Zangief knows the importance of keeping up momentum. If he allows Rust an opening, he has no doubt that the fighter will exploit it to the very fullest.
COMBATSYS: Zangief successfully hits Rust with Light Kick.
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Rust 0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0 Zangief
That final kick was all he could put left into that mess before he had to stop and collect himself, and Zangief still stands which... isn't good. He's... not terribly willing to suffer another one of those suplexes to make use of that opportunity a /second/ time, and it shows with how his head wavers about in an attempt to keep focus. My God, the older man thinks, my head hurts, oh my god it hurts.
Perhaps Zangief saw a similar moment of weakness there as he swings his boot to the side of his head, his left arm not raised fast enough to stop him from falling to a kneel. That in itself wasn't too bad - but that left kick to him while he was kneeling gets him in the ankle, and no matter how tough you are, a good shot to that stings! There's something of a curse as Ol' Rusty goes from security blanket to outright crutch to keep himself in a knelt position.
He eyes it for a moment. I brought it for a reason, he thinks to himself while blood and sweat from his hard collisions to the ground add themselves to the pipe. He's not foregoing Kyokugen just because he brought it - that display he put so soon after suffering the Spinning Piledriver is proof of that. But, fundamentally speaking...
This pipe is a part of him. He brought it after a last minute arrangement thanks to something Yuri said about her style being a strong part of her. With Ol' Rusty by his side, this fight isn't two on one - it's a solid one on one. Ol' Rusty - well, rusted pipes in general - and himself have worked in concert for years.
He can put both together.
There's no words. Just one, loud yell as a man pulls his reserves together into a stand that belies how shaky and weak his kicked ankle is, Ol' Rusty spinning around in his right hand much like back in the times where he still had all the strength in that hand before he moves forward, swinging the pipe upwards in a single, simplistic, but no less menacing advancing uppercut.
Perhaps this will be enough to show Zangief that, even if this man is on the losing end, he might still be able to topple him the once.
COMBATSYS: Rust successfully hits Zangief with Cement Upper EX.
- Power hit! -
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Rust 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Zangief
Zangief narrows his eyes as Rust comes up from the floor. That cry of spirit... it is a roar that he has heard many times before! It is a shout of defiance that he has given himself /countless/ times. It is something that Zangief truly enjoys. And, when faced with it, he is determined to take it head on. Steeling himself for the worst, Zangief juts out his jaw...
And is hit so hard that he is lifted from his feet. His eyes crossing.
For a moment, The Red Cyclone is truly stopped. His body seems to tumble backwards in slow motion, hitting the dirt hard. If this were a wrestling ring, no doubt Rust would be taking this opportunity to pin him. Dully, Zangief recognizes, that had actually hurt him. A lot. There is a low growl from the Red Cyclone at this realization. That had HURT HIM. IT HAD HURT HIM A LOT!
A low growl turns into his own, thunderous roar as he bursts up from the ground. His hands reach out with what can only be described as murderous intent. It isn't that Zangief /really/ wants to kill Rust. But he sure looks like it in this moment. Flecks of spit mat his beard, that scarred bulk coming up with shocking speed...
If he can get Rust in his grasp, there is little subtly or finesse in his technique. Instead, he simply aims to snare him, take a firm grip of his leg and his neck...
And /smash/ him over his knee, bending the poor teacher almost in a bow before he lets him drop to the floor. There... can be little doubt that Rust has definitely managed to put a dent in the Red Cyclone, for him to suddenly turn in such a vicious fashion.
COMBATSYS: Rust fails to interrupt Crushing Throw from Zangief with Brick Stacker.
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Rust 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Zangief
It is a moment that's going to go on the highlight reels, assuming the cameras picked up with Zangief has said - it's kind of hard to make out dialogue with the roar of the falls behind them, but that roar can't drown out one Howard Rust's valiant attempt to turn the tides as Ol' Rusty is raised towards the sky at the end of that uppercut before it is drawn behind him. That one valiant, sure hit aside, it's not going to be enough to stop Zangief.
One of the refs - Oro bless him, he's a new hire - almost thinks to call it. He is dispelled of this notion the moment Zangief comes up with a bellowing roar that puts those strands of hair atop Rust's head to flap in its breeze as he all but jumps him.
"Gfff," the teacher grunts. Yes, it does feel like Zangief's trying to kill him as he snares his leg and neck alike. Ol' Rusty can't be swung to save him, leaving only his empty left hand free to fight against what could be fate itself saying what the outcome of this matchup will be!
Valiantly, he brings his hand atop Zangief's mohawk and starts to press against it too, eyes narrowed and teeth grit as he wrestles with this grip. It's his one hand versus Zangief's two, and this lock succeeds in only one respect.
It delays the inevitable.
"Won't... let... it... go," he wheezes out as he squeezes down as hard as he can. He wants to just push Zangief's head down and faceplant him against the ground, but between the two men, there is no contest as to who is the physically stronger - Mr. Rust's strength gives out, and in that moment of weakness does Zangief complete his aim to smash him over his knee, spittle and blood spraying from his mouth as one of his ribs soundly crack, a prolonged groan of pain as he stumbles away a few steps.
He's only still in the fight because he's technically standing. The rest of him feels almost as though he's had enough, that in the end... maybe he couldn't.
When Zangief's fury has been, at least partially, sated by the rather vicious maneuver... he finds himself looking at Rust, beaten, battered, bloodied... but still determined not to fall. It is a truly noble image. The Red Cyclone can taste blood, and he knows that this man has waited all his life to fight in this tournament. To stand before him, here, now. To prove himself. If this were simply about that, then Zangief would be willing to pronounce Rust victor here and now. Because in what way could he be said to have failed, to have taken so much punishment and still stand tall?
But it is not. There is more riding on this fight than personal pride. Zangief carries with him the hopes of all wrestlers, of his nation, of those cherub-faced children who are relying on him to bring home the title. For them, for the very art of wrestling itself, he cannot allow himself to hesitate. But even he can see that Rust is in pain, almost at the end of what his body will let him do.
And so, Zangief throws himself forwards once more. One fist comes out, aiming to smash into Rust's gut. Whether or not that is successful, both hands move up swiftly, to try and bodily toss Rust to the dirt...
Should that succeed, then Zangief will follow, putting all of his weight into crushing the teacher in a body pin, and hold him there.
COMBATSYS: Rust endures Zangief's Combo Throw.
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Rust 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\1 Zangief
There are many stories of clear-cut heroes and villains, with no middle ground. No one man is evil, no one man is exactly deserving of the win. Perhaps their wills are ultimately equal - it really can only come down to one cold, hard fact - a cold, hard fact recognized pretty much entirely by the entire circuit.
The stronger, faster, more skilled wins. That's all there is to it.
There is no mistake that Zangief is coming out on top in this next exchange of moves, where Zangief doubles him over with one solid strike to his already weaker stomach. His body's already limp by the time Zangief's lifted him up and tossed him into the dirt. He's on his back when Zangief puts him into the body pin that should signal the absolute end of the match in zero uncertain terms.
And yet, though battered and tired, he's still showing a sign of willing to pick himself up. Zangief might feel the slightest resistance before the teacher sits up, even with Zangief on him. He manages to get his left hand up to try and push some space. His right hand reaches out for Ol' Rusty, which fell out of his hand nearby.
Though it is a rusted length of pipe, the sun seems to find some sort of place to let out a little sparkle. Mr. Rust's world darkens. Time slows down. He said he'd go into here like it would be his last fight, if it turned out to be that way.
His fingers clench Ol' Rusty about as tight as his weak grip and fleeting strength will allow, and - much too pinned down to go much of anywhere, simply thrusts Ol' Rusty as hard into Zangief's chest hair as he can. It's entirely possible the momentum behind this swing might reverse the clutch entirely with Rust on top, but it should not be mistaken with something that will assure his victory. The impact, if there is any, is akin to a wrecking ball - even sounds almost entirely like one - against a condemned building to be destroyed.
From there, Zangief is more than free to flop him back over for the successful pin and a call to the end of the round, for it's that last final strike that may very well mark the tail end of Howard Rust's involvement in the King of Fighters.
COMBATSYS: Rust can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Zangief 1/-------/=======|
COMBATSYS: Rust successfully hits Zangief with Condemned.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Zangief 1/----===/=======|
Zangief is bright enough, just, to realize that Rust is squirming underneath him. When he realizes this, he starts to get up, mostly, to check that he's not ... smothering Rust. Which would be a rather horrible way to go.
As a result, he is too slow to realize exactly what Rust is doing, and, when the blow hits him, it flips him bodily off the shorter fighter. With a pained grunt, he winds up with Rust on top of him. Ironic, that the most powerful strike of the match should be the last one. It definitely hurts, but Zangief is not, quite, downed yet. No, there's a lot of fight left in him.
Which he demonstrates by getting up, and completing the pin. Laying across the balding fighter until the officials confirm the end of the round. At which point, he gets back up, shakes his head, and takes a long, deep breath. One hand moving to his chest, to pat at the wound there, and check that nothing seems to have actually been broken. No, it does not seem to. Phew.
"He was ... tough! Tougher than he looked." His eyes fall to the teammates, next. Uncertain of who, exactly, is who. "Which one of you is next to face off against... THE RED CYCLONE!"
COMBATSYS: Zangief drops his guard to recover.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Zangief 1/----===/=======|
COMBATSYS: Zangief takes no action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Zangief 1/-----==/=======|
"DOWN! WINNER IS ZANGAYAF," The announcer somehow manages to mangle Zangief's name in pronunciation in declaring him the winner. This, unfortunately, brings up the obnoxious (if stylized) bumps declaring round 2 to be underway while the next man in the rotation steps in.
Mr. Rust is dragged along back to the sidelines, seated with his head down while applying an ice pack to the side of his head.
"LOUND TSUU!"
Zach takes a pair of calm steps onto the arena floor, walking over to Rust before dropping to one knee. "I got this," Zach says to Rust quietly after being certain that the older man is not dead. Glen then looks up at Zangief before walking to what is considered an acceptable distance from the wrestler before the start of the match.
"That would be me," Zach says, starting quietly but raising his voice as he goes. "I stand before you to offer you a challenge." Violet soul power ripples around Zach's body before shifting to a sunlight yellow. "Let us fight to our hearts' content! LET US SHINE LIKE THE SUN!"
Zach snaps into a 'peek-a-boo' boxing stance.
The announcer cuts in, "FAITO!"
Zach dashes in on a literal burst of energy, closing in with the massive Russian within a second or two of the opening bell. The cameras zoom out to highlight the almost David and Goliath nature of this matchup as the much smaller man plants his feet and fires off a stiff left jab at Zangief's bread basket. Golden energy forms into what appears to be a heavy armored gauntlet around Zach's arm as he throws the punch. Yes, jabs are generally aimed at the head, or the face. Zach simply cannot /reach/ either of those and still throw a good punch, so he'll take what he can get while trying to pile on as many small, compact punches as he can before the big man can get ahold of him!
COMBATSYS: Zach has joined the fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Zach 0/-------/-------|=======\==-----\1 Zangief
COMBATSYS: Zangief endures Zach's Jab Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Zach 0/-------/-------|=======\====---\1 Zangief
Zangief looks suitably impressed by Zach's shiny display of power. It isn't every day that he gets to fight someone as ... pretty as Zach. It makes quite the contrast to fighting Rust. He is not one to back down, however, and he laughs heartily. "Shine like the sun?!" He bellows, good-naturedly, "COMRADE! In Siberia, our blizzards can blot out the sun for days!"
Zangief barely has time to register that the announcer has said 'Faito!' before Zach slams his energy-clad fists into Zangief's stomach, but they do not force the larger man back, for all the force that is in them.
This type of energy ... Zangief might not be a scholar, but he has learned over the years that there are two types of energy in the world. The power which hurts really bad and sets you on fire and does horrible things to your hair. And the power which hurts even worse and sets you on fire and does terrible things to your hair. Nevertheless, The Red Cyclone is not going to let himself be stopped so easily.
Instead, he grunts, and instead, one hand is suddenly snatching out, aiming to grab hold of Zach's hand, and throw him up over his head with a cry of;
"I will SHOW you the power of the Russian Winter!"
COMBATSYS: Zangief knocks away Zach with Ultimate Atomic Buster!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Zach 1/---====/=======|=------\-------\0 Zangief
The Red Cyclone grabs hold of Zach, and swings him up, and back. This powerful suplex is bad enough, but it is only the beginning of the assault, as Zangief lets all of his wrestling-know-how shine through in a way which his die-hard fans will be able to follow along with at home!
"ULTIMATE!"
Scooping Zach up, much as how he had done to poor Rust towards the end of his fight, his knee crushes home in Zach's back, one hand stretching back on his neck, the other his legs, as he seems to literally try to break the unfortunate Psion over his knee.
"ATOMIC!"
And then, he's sailing into the air. His head crushed between the Red Cyclone's mighty Russian thighs, spinning in a corkscrew motion which brings him bodily down into the ground. The force here, however, is enough that not only is a crater made, but a HUGE mushroom cloud of dust and debris flies into the air, momentarily obscuring the cameras, as Zach is sent hurtling from the top of it, and Zangief's booming voice roars out.
"BUSSSSSSTEEEEEEEEEER!!!"
Zach winces as Zangief grabs his arm. He tries to roll with the impact, but the Red Cyclone. He lays in the crater for a moment before opening his eyes, locking them on Zangief. Everyone else is outside of the range of what he was about to try; Zach had gotten the lay of the land as it were during the match. He knew where he was, relative to everyone else even through the monsterous pain he was feeling.
It was time to share some of that with Zangief. "The sun will always shine through eventually," Zach says hoarsely.
People who are familiar with Zach's 'fighting style' (such as it is) can figure pretty quickly, from Zach's lack of movement, that he is simply going to loose all of that soul power he had accumulated during the short course of the fight. Rust might know from experience that Zach's power output tends to ramp up in moments like this, giving the small psychic the ability to have the chance to turn a fight around in a dreadful hurry.
Zangief has a moment's warning before a rapidly expanding sphere of soul power erupts from Zach's frame. The force of the explosion is enough to pick Glen up off of his back and onto his feet while remnants of the blast seem to soak back into him...
COMBATSYS: Zangief blocks Zach's Storm Flare.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Zach 0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0 Zangief
The force is so bright and explosive that Mr. Rust - all the way over there with the bag to the side of his face - clenches said bag so hard it explodes into a cold shower of liquids as he tenses himself up against an explosion he himself is not subject to. One of his knees start to twinge.
Someone gets him a new bag.
"... You are still able to fight? Hahah! Congratulations, Comrade!" Zangief starts. And then... Zach is glowing, and the Red Cyclone throws his arms across his body, doing his best to brace against the storm of power. As it turns out, this is probably the best choice he could have made. He hasn't fought Zach before, but he can't help but draw parallels to this, and fighting a particular child NESTs project. She had thrown insane amounts of energy around, too, and he had tried to simply go /through/ it. That, hadn't worked. This, although it leaves him smoking, with the hair on his arms and chest smouldering gently, is far more successful.
No sooner has the explosion died away, then Zangief comes stomping forwards again. Both arms stretched out wide, his eyes bloodshot and, maybe, a little bit wild. It seems like the metaphor play has reached an end, however, as he's not exactly... saying something. Instead, he's snarling like a rabid animal.
This appearance is not helped by the way he attempts to /hug/ Zach and crush him up against his body. If he manages this, then, in one of the more bizarre techniques in his arsenal, The Red Cyclone will open his mouth wide...
And attempt to start /biting/ Zach right at the soft point between neck and shoulder. This is not a very pleasant experience, as Zangief gnashes, rips, and tears with all the ferocity of the animals he trained so hard with in the Siberian wilderness. Maybe he is following up with this technique to keep them watching?
COMBATSYS: Zangief successfully hits Zach with Kamitsuki.
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Zach 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Zangief
Zach lets out a roar of pain as Zangief demonstrates how much he loves Soylent Zach. He wriggles a bit, working an arm free as he summons up still more of that vibrant yellow power. The Red Cyclone had the right idea, perhaps in trying to work through the barrage.
A sphere of energy spins to life in Zach's ready palm. "Let..." Zach slams the sphere directly at Zangief's head. "GO!" Zach tries to kick off of the Russian Bear's chest in an attempt to get loose. He may have to change tactics here...
COMBATSYS: Zangief interrupts Impulse Flare from Zach with Banishing Flat.
[ \\ < > ///////// ]
Zach 1/----===/=======|======-\-------\0 Zangief
Oh no. No. Zangief is NOT going to take a fireball to the face.
Fireballs to the face have spelled the end of many promising fights for the Red Cyclone over the years. The fighter on the other end of them might change, but that doesn't change what happens to poor Zangief. People just look at him and think, hey, there's a face that could be improved by setting it on fire.
Well not /today/.
Zach does manage to bring the ball smashing around, and it does crash into Zangief's ugly mug, but, at the same time, the large man is already moving, letting go of the young Psion and bringing his fist with him, and bright green power is flaring rudely with it. Zangief's energy is largely unrefined. An instinctive thing, only really harnessed for the sole purpose of punching people who tried to use fireballs on him.
This works magnificently.
Zach gets a backwards fist full of energy to the face, and Zangief stumbles back with his own face full of burning psycho power. "GRAAAARGH!" He spits, stamping his feet into the ground like a particularly angry, large, petulant child. "I /HATE/ FIREBALLS!"
Zach simply crumples to the ground, barely avoiding a faceplant at Zangief's feet. He simply looks up at the large Russian. It's a long ways up. But despite the bloody torso, and what appears to be the start of a full-body bruise, Zach... is still grinning. Grinning as still /more/ of that sunlight seeps out of and around him.
"Cry some more," Zach says levelly before simply exploding one more time. He doesn't see what happens next as he slumps forward and passes out. His last thought is providing Yuri with enough of an opening that perhaps she can bring the giant down.
Either way, Zach's part of the match is over.
COMBATSYS: Zach can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\ <
Zangief 0/-------/-======|
COMBATSYS: Zach successfully hits Zangief with Storm Flare.
- Power hit! -
[ <
Zangief 1/----===/=======|
Yuri arrives from elsewhere.
Zangief looks down at Zach, and, inexcusably given the way the fight has been going, he /doesn't/ see the explosion coming. Instead, he's talking as Zach starts to glow.
"CRY!? THE RED CYCLONE DOES NOT CRY, YOU PATHETIC LITTLE--"
What Zach is, we may never know. Because the force of the explosion hits Zangief full on, and whilst Zach might have been hoping to provide Yuri with an opening to take him down ... what actually happens, is rather more dramatic than that.
Zangief is literally blown backwards by the force of the explosion of energy, and he's sent hurtling backwards into the waterfall. Thankfully, this is at such an angle that he is not just swept immediately over the edge to his certain doom...
But he is certainly no longer going to be taking any part in the fight. Instead, several strategically positioned staff members are going to spend the next several minutes trying to fish half a ton of singed Russian meat out of the river.
COMBATSYS: Zangief takes no action.
COMBATSYS: Zangief can no longer fight.
"DLAW GAME!" Cries that female announcer as both Zach and Zangief are removed from play. It's not looking good for the Mountain Lions - two of them down to the Wrestlefriends only being down one.
"LOUND TLEE!" She calls out as the next two fighters to take the stage.
he epic battled has started and through it all Zangief has shown why he is the leader for his team. The Russian has proven his worth in being able to topple two of the opposing team members before going down leaving two others to pick up the slack. Who would be following this cyclone that has rampaged through Africa? It seems like the storm warnings are still severe as the Red Cyclone cleared way for a hurricane to come through.
El Fuerte has been training for this moment. Even as he searches for the elusive Iron Chef Karate he had been recruited by the mighty Zangief to compete in this tournament. He even considers himself a quasi co-captain since the large grappler could never understand how good a quick warrior could be. With things cleared of the previous warriors it is the luchador who comes forth next for his time. With vim and vigor he charges forward and then jumps up to flip about and land on both feet. "DYNAAAAMIIIIIIIIC COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKING TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIME!" he cries out as he lands.
He is not sure who he is to face next, but only knows they need to be defeated so Wrestlefiends can move on. That is why the luchador is ready for battle as he rests a hand on his hip and points a finger in the air. "You experienced a cyclone, but now a hurricane is coming through!" he declares before giving a hearty laugh. "Bring forth the opponent of El Fuerte!"
COMBATSYS: ElFuerte has started a fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
ElFuerte 0/-------/------=|
"You did well, Zach," Yuri says to Zach as he's brought off to the sidelines, before going over to Rust. "And you too, Mr. Rust. The fact that you endured that giant is something definitely noteworthy!" Yuri pats him on the back gently, before stepping into the fighting arena and stretching her legs quickly, before turning to face El Fuerte... and almost immediately she goes wide eyed.
"Cooking? You?" Yuri can't stop herself from giggling at this guy. "You look more like you belong in the amateur backyard wrestling videos than in a cooking show!" But after a moment, Yuri then realizes that this truly is her opponent, and her tone turns serious again. "Either way, I'm not going easy on you! In fact, if anyone's going to be cooking someone, it's me cooking you with my powers!" Yuri assumes her fighting stance, bouncing on her heels and waiting for El Fuerte.
COMBATSYS: Yuri has joined the fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
ElFuerte 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Yuri
"LEADY," there comes the announcer whose Engrish will probably pollute every match in the tournament, "GO!"
The luchador seem unphased by the inult of one Yuri Sakazaki when he speaks of backyard wrestling and the like. The masked wrestler tilts his head for a moment then seem to realize something. "You! You are the daughter of Takuma!" he says while he gives a wide grin. "He is the one that trained the person I seek! He is the man that made Iron Chef Karate the master that he is!" Yes, maybe this girl can give the luchachef an answer that he needs to find that elusive warrior that he must hire for his restaurant.
There are more important things in this case. Such as to win and keep moving on in the tournament. Afterall if he proves he is a great warrior it will only give the Iron Chef Karate incentive to show his face to battle with a true warrior! El Fuerte gets a serious look, or as serious as he can get, while nodding to Yuri. "This shall be a good one!" he declares before rushing forward.
The luchador moves like a blur as he closes any distance between he and Yuri and he reaches out to grab the girl and pick her up. If he manages to get a firm grip he lifts her upwards and then falls down to deliver a rather vicious suplex. "TEPACHE BOOOOOOMB!"
COMBATSYS: ElFuerte successfully hits Yuri with Tepache Bomb.
-* WILD HIT! *-
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////// ]
ElFuerte 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Yuri
Fast he is, and grappling is something that he does well. Yuri finds herself unable to defend against him because of his speed, but also because of her timing. She finds herself being lifted and then suplexed onto the ground, only to push herself up via a kippup into her fighting stance again. "You're pretty fast, but I'm just warming up!" Yuri says as she winks at El Fuerte in a semi-sarcastic manner.
"Here, catch!" Yuri then adds playfully, before bringing her fist backwards and then thrusting it forwards, sending forth a blast of chi while she yells, "KO'OU KEN!"
COMBATSYS: Yuri successfully hits ElFuerte with Ko'ou Ken.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
ElFuerte 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Yuri
There is a firm grab made and El Fuerte manages to bring the girl upwards and then slam her to the ground. What he doesn't expect is for her to recover so quickly. Even as he gets to his feet he finds Yuri has also recovered in that time to prepare a form of offense. The blast of energy is one that the luchador also feels ready to deal with. His feet are already in motion to get out of the way and even as he moves he finds himself getting his timing a bit to slow. Instead he is met with being clipped by that blast and he goes staggering to the side and hopping on one foot for a few moments before managing to regain his balance.
"Hmm, not too bad!" he admit as he lets out a bit of a chuckle. "This shall be interesting indeed." He gets a running dash to go right towards Yuri once again, but instead of a direct attack he ends up leaping into the air at the last moment. The intention is for him to flip about and come sailing down at high speed to slam himself on top of the girl as haras he can before flipping away and landing on his feet. "TOSTAAAAADAAAAA PRESS!"
COMBATSYS: ElFuerte successfully hits Yuri with Tostada Press.
-* WILD HIT! *-
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
ElFuerte 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1 Yuri
Yuri finds herself being literally flattened by the wrestling chef, laying flat on the ground for a moment looking like a Yuri pancake... or something like that. Fortunately, you won't be eating her with maple syrup anytime soon, since she manages to get back up and resume her fighting stance again.
"Looks like you're tougher than you look... I think we're going to need to pick up the pace a little!" Yuri takes off running towards El Fuerte, and then attempts to deliver her own personal flying uppercut attack, almost like the Dragon Punch, but with a touch of Yuri-style added in!
COMBATSYS: Yuri successfully hits ElFuerte with Yuri Chou Upper.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
ElFuerte 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Yuri
%Of course he is tough. El Fuerte hasn't been fighting the likes of Zangief, Hugo and Abobo for nothing! He is primed and read for a battle of this magnitude and Zangief is just lucky he got the glory of putting down the likes of Zach and Rust before El Fuerte could get involved in the match. Of course it might help if his confidence shows a bit more than it is currently. He may be managing to put a hurt on Yuri, but the speed that the luchador is known for is just not being shown in this case. Even as he gets ready to move he finds his jaw jacked sooner than he expected when Yuri nails him. He goes upwards and only manages to regain his balance to land in a backwards roll.
He pops out of that roll and he rubs at his chin while grinning. "You aren't so bad yourself!" he declares. Then again that should be expected. She is a heir to the Sakazaki name and Takuma wouldn't let her be week if he can help it. El Fuerte wonders just how tough the girl can be. He goes forward again as he turns into a blur. His hands seek out to grab her as he leaps upwards and looks to flip her about as he drives her down to the ground head first if he manages to get ahold of the Kyokugen practitioner. "FAAAAJITAAAS BUSTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"(wulf)
COMBATSYS: Yuri fails to interrupt Fajitas Buster from ElFuerte with Jab Punch.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
ElFuerte 1/------=/=======|=======\===----\1 Yuri
When El Fuerte comes at Yuri, the Kyokugen girl thinks she has this in the bag... untill she actually attempts to punch El Fuerte. She misses and leaves herself vulnerable to the incoming attack, which leaves her laying on the ground in a semi-out of shape position. Even then, she pushes herself back up and glares at El Fuerte."
"You're tough, but I don't always like tough people like you!" Yuri mutters. "You may be a good fighter, but a good cook? I don't think so!" She attempts to catch her breath, finding herself getting worn out so early to be a shock.
There is a moment where El Fuerte pauses. He was in the zone and was ready to win this for his team. Then it seems Yuri had to hit a soft spot in this whole ordeal. She had to insult his ability as a cook. Has the girl even had a taste of the wonderous dishes that El Fuerte has created? This is an insult second to only making fun of Rainbow Mika in his mind. That is why the luchador goes wide eyed as he stares towards Yuri. "You laugh at the Hurricane of the gulf!?" he asks while looking flabbergasted by it all.
His body shakes and he point a finger towards the girl. "I was going to go easy on you, but I see that I was wrong in asuming you had the same respect as your father!" Does he know a different Takuma that Yuri does? Apparently so in this case. Either way he closes in on the girl and he flings himself forward and he kicks his legs outwards. The intent is a dropkick that aims both feet right at the torso of the younger figher. "HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
COMBATSYS: Yuri interrupts Light Kick from ElFuerte with Shin! Chou Upper.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
ElFuerte 1/--=====/=======|===----\-------\0 Yuri
As El Fuerte comes at Yuri, the fighter is on extra high alert. She takes a deep breath and blows it out, and just as the kick hits her, she staggers backwards... and then launches into a more powerful version of her previous uppercut attack. This time she delivers several in a row, and then lands with a taunting gesture...
And then she drops into a hunched over stance again. "Damn... that took it outta me!" She says to herself. "I can't give up now though... I can't!" Tears start to well up in her eyes at the thought of losing in the first round.
The feet hit hard. He can feel it. What El Fuerte does not expect is the retaliation once he lands. He can't even get a chance to defend himself before he finds himself hit in the chin once again. Not only that it seems that Yuri gets the energy to slam her fist repeatedly into the luchador which sends him staggering back before the final blow knocks him away into a tumble that he tries to recover from. He rolls across the ground and manages to finally come out of that roll and get to his feet. He staggers a bit as he tries to clear the cobwebs. "N....not bad!"
%It is more than that, but El Fuerte can't afford to give her much more credit in this case. That might inspire confidence and he doesn't need her to have that at this point. Instead he is more intent on trying to finish the girl off. He leaps forwards as he goes to slam into her at full speed and knock her off balance. "EL FUERTE!" He declares and if he is lucky he manages to push Yuri off balance to continue his attack. It is a flurry of both fists and kicks before he leaps upwards once again to crash down on the poor girl. "DYNAMITE!" Once he lands he pushes off to flip backwards and land on his feet once again as he attempts to prepare for what the girl might have in mind afterwards.
COMBATSYS: Yuri dodges ElFuerte's El Fuerte Dynamite.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
ElFuerte 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Yuri
She's barely got any steam remaining in her, and she's barely able to see in front of her well. Yet somehow, Yuri manages to sidestep and drop down just in the nick of time to avoid that incoming attack from El Fuerte. At first, she's too dazed to realize what just happened... untill she looks and sees El Fuerte had missed her.
"Don't underestimate your opponent!" Yuri says with a slight smirk. "I'm not done yet!" She takes a deep breath and blows it out, attempting to focus herself and regain her power.
COMBATSYS: Yuri gains composure.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
ElFuerte 0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0 Yuri
Mr. Rust looks up from where he sits, wounded, another cold bag of water in his hand as he flashes a thumbs up over to Yuri for that brief moment before going back to nursing his wounded body (to say nothing of his pride).
He feels that he has this in this hand. El Fuerte would gain so much glory for the Wrestlefiends and impress Zangief. They would move on to show that wrestling is the true power in the fighting world. Then there he is striking at nothing. It takes a moment to register for El Fuerte and he just stares for a few moments at the fact he was denied his victory. "What!?" He shakes his head and then points to Yuri. "You are quicker than you look. No matter! I will end this sooner than later." His confidence doesn't seem to be shattered much at all at this point. This girl has potential, but there is no way she could beat the Hurricane of the Gulf!
He continues to press the attack. he can't give Yuri much of a chance to rest if he can help it. He raises his arms upwards and he goes wide eyed as he reaches forward to grasp Yuri and pull her close once again. It is an attempt to grab her and then fall backwards as he kicks his legs upwards and drive them into her stomach. He is attempting to just up and monkeyflip her away into oblivion.
COMBATSYS: Yuri fails to interrupt Quick Throw from ElFuerte with Saiha.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
ElFuerte 0/-------/---====|
COMBATSYS: Yuri can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
ElFuerte 0/-------/---====|
Yuri looks up and attempts to bring forth her shielding technique known as the Saiha... but it's no use. Yuri is grabbed and thrown by El Fuerte... and when she hits the ground, she doesn't get back up. She doesn't move an inch. She just lays there, out for the count. While she's not showing it now, she'll definitely be unhappy when she comes to.
The announcer chimes in at the final, decisive hit. "KAY! OH!" Time seems to freeze for that moment of impact, before Yuri lays unconscious. It's over. For people at home, an overlay that shows 'WINNER WRESTLEFRIENDS' in thick white letters with different color outlines - bluish for the first word, reddish for the second.
"WLESTREFLIENDS WIN!"
And so it is over it would seem. El Fuerte manages to get a grip of Yuri and toss her aside before coming out of his room unharmed. He then keeps his stance in case she gets up to retaliate. That never ends up happening and soon there is a declaration of his team winning. That only brings a wide grin to the luchador's face as he straightens up and gives a hearty laugh. "That is right! No team can stand up to both a Cyclone and a Hurricane!" Does he even remember there is a chicken and his idol on the team as well? It seems like that is forgotten at the moment. He is too busy boasting for his team!
"He crosses his arms over his chest and does a little Mexican hat dance before posing again with a hand on his hip and a finger pointing upwards. "Beware the rest of you all! You will feel the might of all of us and realize that wrestling is the ultimate fighting style!" he cries out and then lets out another laugh. He shall be interested in seeing who might be next and even more importantly for El Fuerte he hopes Iron Chef Karate was watching and will take notice. El Fuerte is on your tail, old man. He will defeat you yet!
Suddenly, the scene cuts out. A thin strip of white light fades back into view, and fades into the battlefield in the background. Zangief and Tizoc are in the back to a fanfare of some sort.
............. el fuerte
winner........... tizoc
............... zangief
life bonus...... 014700
time bonus...... 250000
survival bonus.. 000000
perfect bonus... 000000
total score.... 0264700
El Fuerte stands triumphantly in the foreground - standing straight with a hand on his hip and a finger pointed upwards.
________________________________________________
You couldn't handle the fire,
so I had to remove you from the kitchen!
________________________________________________
Log created on 17:34:59 02/10/2011 by Rust, and last modified on 22:17:31 02/12/2011.