Description: Destined rivals, eternal friendship, and smacking some sense into Ken. Repeatedly. Also: Hilarity at Dan's expense.
Once upon a time, there was a wanderer who felt cursed. Touched by dark power, conjuring calamity and chaos wherever he stepped. The only father he knew murdered, the stalwart will and skill he had lived by now touched by whispers of murder and ambition. Then, as now, as in the years that intervened... the legendary nomad has been reminded that he is not an evil man - simply a man. A powerful one, touched by both talent and destiny. Steeling the will to use it.
The nostalgia drifts easily with a pair of digits massaging the forehead behind the sponsor of these messages, a long red headband tied taut around Ryu's head, the dark-haired champion darker in the unlit office, the evening hours seeing the sun set deep in the Seattle skyline, casting a long shadow off the wanderer's form, across the breadth of the office. There's not so much weight to the nomad's stance, as there is intensity and resolve - it's a mirrored glint in his eyes as he watches the daystar descend.
Ryu does nothing to mask his presence, nothing to mask his intent to fight, that he's been here - perhaps since Ken last left - meditating on just that event. It's a sense, an electricity in the air that his brother by another mother would know - a prickle of dangerous challenge even without animosity. After all, the chi that flows through Ryu, flows through the building, flows into the earth, surges outwards into the winds that buffett the highrise. It's almost trackable, if one listens long enough, that gathering storm, that thunderclap just beyond hearing.
It has been some time since Ken had felt this feeling. Even if they are apart, somehow there is a bond, almost a metaphysical link. When one is truly seeking the other, fate seems to have a way of putting them together. Of course, the reasons that Ryu may have finally shown might not be for their usual sparring.
A lot has happened to Ken since he last saw the wandering vagabond known as Ryu. He has done things that he never would have believed himself capable of, and to make it worse, at times he enjoyed it. Is this the same thing Ryu went through himself? Knowing that on some level the carnage and destruction he is capable of, can be reveled in? Was it really true? As much as he wants to scream and tell everyone it isn't, to Ryu, the truth will be as evident as the silly smirk that seems to rest upon Ken's face whenever the two meet.
It has been a busy day for Ken. Shopping with Eliza, playing with Mel, taking care of some silly board meetings to keep the stockholders at bay. Of course, that inkling and nagging feeling that soon he's going to have another fated encounter. Truly, that is the best way to describe it. Neither of them are truly surprised by now about it, but accept it and roll with it every time it happens.
"Long time no see Ryu."
There's a bond between brothers, and one of master and student. While Sakura may have been pursuing her studies over her WARRIOR DESTINY, just now, nothing Ken Masters does escapes her deadly google-fu. Even if it does sometimes take Ryu some time to wade through the various diatribes and blog links to get to the bootleg videos of Ken Masters going Ike Turner Cubed. Or tearing /apart/ several city blocks. In the past few weeks, it's grown to a fever pitch. Voicemails, emails, certified mail. None of it even got close to Ryu until he touched ground three days ago south of Valencia, after a long trek through some of the darkest parts of Africa.
Urgent flags do little when someone takes little with them, and purpose dictates attention to the now - and not the could-be. But sometimes, the dark what-ifs, are. Sometimes, you come back to find out your best friend has apparently embraced the addictive rush of power Ryu knows so, so well. He feels it, even now, in the aura of his casual but concerned comrade. Ryu, too, seems concerned. To put it mildly.
"I know what Gouki would want from us right now." The nomad notes, not one to beat around the bush. He reaches back with one, red sparring gloved hand, and unties his trademark headband, tossing it to Ken's feet, eyes snapping to the other Ansatsuken prodigy. "What would /Gouken/ say? This is not the way, Ken. Power without wisdom distorts purpose, you have forgotten compassion." Which seems to make the nomad very, very sad. "For what?"
"You don't think I already don't know this Ryu!?" The words alone are all Ken can muster in face of being confronted by the one person that truly understands it all. His fists clench tightly as he tries to fight back the anger of everything that has happened, not only at himself, but those who weren't there to help bring him back until after the damage was done.
"I fought it at first, trying to avoid anyone who would pull it out. I wasn't my own person anymore. I was a tool of something that I have no understanding of. Orochi poisoned me, and in the end, I fell prey to the lure of its power. Nothing can ever excuse me from what has happened, and I will have to live with it until my time finally comes. I can't even ask you to forgive me.. I've failed our master.. I've failed myself."
Words at times may be enough to convey guilt and innocence, yet Ken understands that this will not be one of those times. His eyes glance down at the headband that has been tossed at his feet, understanding the significance of it. A sad nod is given towards his friend, his body starting to slip into the famed stance that the Ansatsuken practitioners are known for.
COMBATSYS: Ken has started a fight here.
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Ken 0/-------/------=|
COMBATSYS: Ryu has wandered into the fight here.
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Ken 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Ryu
There's a slow, patient sort of nod after a moment. "Easier to get carried away in the moment, even when you know." Ryu acknowledges, "This dark power poisoned the world, from what I saw. Brought out the worst, whispered... temptations and promises." No, it's unlikely that the destabilizing quakes and agents of darkness came and went without occupying the nomad in one way or another, even if it was on an entirely different scale. "That's why you and I are so important, the path we can see, if we look beyond." Never count on Ryu to be particularly concrete and non-meta.
"You don't fight it at first, Ken. You fight it every day, every moment, because within each of us is that same... devastation." Ryu doesn't even fully take a ready stance, he just starts striking at Masters. Not all-out, not violently. Calm, focused, a collected point. Delivered in a series of quick jabbing punches and a snapping forward kick, elementary moves delivered impossibly fast. Aligned for Ken's face first.
Because they flinched, and then diverted guard high, and then weaved right or left.... damn Gouken and his layered lessons, ahem.
Also, his torso, each collarbone. Sparring blows. "It erodes. There is no time for self-pity, you're already /behind/." Yes, Ryu takes this sensitive moment to call Ken out. "You think this is the end? What are they going to say if Ken Masters goes down in the first wave? Failed." Ryu shakes his head. And punches again. Still with just enough oomph to sting like hell.
COMBATSYS: Ken endures Ryu's Weakened Strong Punch.
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Ken 0/-------/----===|==-----\-------\0 Ryu
As each blow of Ryu's strikes against his body, Ken is truly doing his best to stand his ground. As that final blow rises up and strikes him in the face, Ken's head remains in that position for a few moments. This is truly what he needed. He could spend forever on the pity pot, or he could realize that even in his darkest hour he's got someone to bitchslap him (in a litteral sense) back on the right path.
It takes Ken a few more moments to finally return his attention back towards Ryu, all traces of the anger and resentment gone. His left hand rises up to idly rub the now stinging spot on his face. "Man. You really had to pull your punches to do that?" A slight grin appears on Ken's face as he once more slides into the stance, this time sending his right fist rocketing towards Ryu. Its time to send a 'jab' at his friend to get him going.
COMBATSYS: Ken successfully hits Ryu with Jab Punch.
- Power hit! -
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Ken 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Ryu
The shift in his friend's focus, from the self-driving spiral downward to the will Ken may need to overcome it, draws a brief flash of a smile to Ryu's features, as much in his eyes as on his mouth. It lasts the nanosecond it takes Ken's fist to catch him square in the face. Ryu's head doesn't whip back, taking the force full in his stern features, thick neck giving just enough to absorb the forward motion. His right leg shifts with the momentum back, sliding a graceful arc along the floor, anchoring the Ansatsuken master even as he bends his left at the knee.
"Had to be sure you could handle it. You have to focus, Ken, on what matters. Every day. It's not your power. It's how you use it, how wise and alert you are to the need to act. While you've been having your midlife crisis early..." Ryu deadpans, as if Ken's journey through darkness was some ridiculous phase, and not several shades of tragedy. "Some of us have been /training/."
The burn comes complete with a full, heaving step back in with that right foot. It arcs up into a high kick that ballerinas would envy. As would sledgehammers. Heel leads on the rise, and on the fall, Ryu stepping in nearly eye to eye with Ken - if only in the quest to axe-kick the CEO soundly into the floor of his own office.
COMBATSYS: Ken interrupts Strong Kick from Ryu with Shoryuken.
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Ken 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Ryu
Ryu is fast. That's something Ken has always known, and once his Ansatsuken Brother comes in to deliver that powerful kick.. Well, it's time to show Ryu that he's not the only one thats been training.
"I'm sorry, I'm having a bit of trouble understanding you over that horrible smell. When's the last time you had a real bath?" Already Ken's ducking down low and rocketing upwards as Ryu's leg is crashing down upon him. All he can do is just power through it and strike back. His fist lands cleanly upon Ryu's chin as Ken dishes out the move that he's truly mastered.
"SHORYUKEN!"
While he waits for Ryu to regain his senses from that hit, Ken idly rolls his shoulders, taunting his friend to hurry up and continue.
"I was saying. At least you're not rusty enough to get pasted by an old standby." It's a pretty decent rebuttal save, when one's just been launched abruptly and profoundly out of one's offensive, and launched skyward across the office. At the time the words leave his mouth, Ryu is slapping one hand down to the side, and pulling his back out of a vagabond-shaped dent in one of Ken's filing cabinets. Of course, the next instant?
Ryu is on his feet. Fists clenched, eyes narrowed. "Problem is, it just took your best to stop my warmup." Sure, the Shoryuken isn't the /strongest/ single move in Ken's arsenal, but hey, let's never undersell that damn thing. A slow smile spreads on the nomad's features, "It's how we live, not how we fight. The impact of our art and strength.
Apparently, there's only so many jokes Ryu can accept before zen diplomacy kicks back in. "Look within, you are not a slave to /anything's/ will. It is you who must purge it, reject it, fill yourself so full of a contrary idea that you can't even find room." It's advice offered in the instant before Ryu executes the upgrade in technique foreshadowed a moment ago.
Hands sweep forward, heels together, his fingers curled high and low as a brilliant, blue-white spark erupts outwards in literal sub-blink instants, a roiling brilliant fireball surging forward in self contained conflagration.
"HADOOOOUKEN!!!"
COMBATSYS: Ken negates Hadouken from Ryu with Hadouken.
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Ken 0/-------/-----==|=====--\-------\0 Ryu
All Ken can even try to do in response to the words Ryu throws at him is nod, eyes trained on his current foe. He knows that if he loses his focus at any point in this fight, it will be his loss, and there is too much pride there for either one to really give up without it being clear cut on who won and lost this time around.
"I won't beat myself up over it Ryu. I mean, why should I when you're trying to do that for me!"
Ken's eyes narrow slightly as he watches Ryu gather the chi for the move the two of them both know so well. All he can do is try and retaliate on his own, quickly stepping back as his hands fall to the side, chi gathering to form his own blue-white ball of energy.
"HADOOOOKEN!"
The chi is sent hurtling forward towards Ryu's, clashing violently with it until they both die out.
That, as they say, seems to settle that. It's rare for Ryu to be so verbose /during/ a battle. Even if he doesn't tend to use it for what Zangief and Blanka do, during one. The shockwave of blue and white flares out luminescently, blasting the papers and organizers off of Ken's desk, and setting Ryu's sable hair fluttering wildly. The nomad lets out a quiet grunt of approval. There's a certain progressive amplitude to Ryu's involvement in this fight. Like getting the point through to Ken was way more important in the immediate moment. Now, though, it's safe to say anyone watching with a scouter knows that the legendary nomad is not making things easy for his battle brother.
"HADOOOOOOOUKEN!!!!" Ryu reiterates, echoing a mighty cry that seems to throw tremors of its own through the office. A replay? No, it seems not. No slower, a surge comes burning up from within Ryu - the depth of the Hadou, the well of martial might and spiritual strength he's mastered so thoroughly. That pure will, apparently here to temper Ken's fire. ... only this time, Ryu's will -is- fire. Suffice to say this is what he does. The meteoric blast erupts crimson, this time, fiery and flaring about itself in swirling, snarling flame as it whips in for Ken, singing and melting objects about its course in an instant.
COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Ken with Shakunetsu Hadouken EX.
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Ken 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\0 Ryu
FWOOSH!
The force of the more powerful Hadouken is enough to send Ken crashing to the ground, flames engulfing his body like some bad stunt gone wrong. Of course, through the power unexplained things that I don't really feel like getting into, Ken rises back to his feet, hair and clothing perfectly intact. His right hand idly rises up to rub off a stray smudge from the blast of the Shakunetsu Hadouken, knowing that Ryu's truly kicked it up a notch.
The time for words is over now, and Ken's already going back on the offensive. Rushing towards Ryu, the Crimson clad man spins slightly, sliding across the floor of his office on the ball of his left foot, right foot aimed for Ryu's head in a devistating overhead kick.
COMBATSYS: Ryu fails to interrupt Inazuma Kakato Wari from Ken with Shoryuken.
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Ken 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0 Ryu
As Ryu steps it up a notch, Ken turns to the same page. Reflections of one another's style, Ryu senses Ken's move even as he makes it, drops low, flexes his right arm. It's a gathering of power, tremendous in its own right - artillery ready to fire, all pistons primed. Of course, there's only so much focus one can gather through taking a foot clean in the head, and crouch becomes haphazard backward roll. His head ringing, the nomad plants one palm to the floor and vaults in a singular backflip, landing a short distance away in a crouch on Ken's conveniently Hadouken-cleared desk.
"That's... more like it." Ryu murmurs, working quickly to regain his bearings. All the strength and training in the world won't help him if he doesn't turn the tide back against Ken's fluid recovery and determination.
Ken's not going to really give Ryu a chance to regain those bearings. While it may be all fun and games for the two of them, it truly is meant as a gauge to how far the two have progressed with their training. So Ken keeps on coming.
As Ryu is climbing back to his feet, Ken is once more rushing in, this time to grab ahold of the white gi that Ryu wears. If he manages to latch on, then once more he's going to send Ryu on a wild ride, falling backwards and allowing the weight of the thicker man to be used against him.
COMBATSYS: Ryu blocks Ken's Jigoku-guruma.
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Ken 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0 Ryu
Their friendly competition doesn't really look like it from the outside. The simple fact is that both warriors know exactly how capable the other is. That it is their /responsibility/ to push each other further. Perhaps Ken wasn't the only one with lessons to learn here. It brings a momentary smile to Ryu's face, but there's little time to ponder it deeply as Ken joins him on the fine hardwood desk, and hurls him off of it. As the pair roll to the floor, the legendary nomad goes flying free, eyes snapping to one side, and then the other, as he crouches into his flight. It's a moment that would be done in slow motion, if we only had the technology.
The born warrior kicks upwards with one leg, his other tightly coiled, keeping his axis consistent as he, alarmingly gracefully for a man of his strength, abruptly backflips. The nomad's momentum is hurled around, and then groundward, and he hits with enough force to rattle the walls, three-point style. Eyes snap back up on Ken, and he sprints three steps and hurls himself airborne.
"TATSUMAKI SENPUUUUU KYAKU!!!" he kiais in gutteral incoherence, sheer power resounding off each air-shattering, bone jarring stroke of his rotorblade right leg, whipping about with his left perpendicular to the floor. The reaving roundhouses might crush the skull of a lesser man, executed with this level of... well, lack of restraint. It's what they were trained for, it's what they live for. It's high time for a reminder.
COMBATSYS: Ryu successfully hits Ken with Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku.
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Ken 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\1 Ryu
The savage blows upon Ken's skull truly makes the world spin for a few moments. Dazed and confused, Ken has to shake his head for a moment to try and regain his balance. It may be a dangerous gambit, but he knows that Ryu has to regain his own footing after it. Chi slowly starts to surge upon Ken's fist, glowing a vivid red as he draws forth his own flames.
Already he's rushing in towards Ryu, dropping down low as the chi errupts into a firey torrent that engulfs his entire arm. He springs upwards, hoping to catch Ryu with one of his most powerful techniques and drag him towards the heaven in that blazing spiral of flames that will follow afterwards.
"SHINRYUU KEN!"
COMBATSYS: Ryu blocks Ken's Shinryuu Ken+.
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Ken 0/-------/-------|=======\=------\1 Ryu
The world whips about, but it does not dizzy the practiced warrior. He touches down in a ready crouch, fingertips barely grazing the ground before he's back in the air. Instants ahead of Ken. Unfortunately, for Ryu? Ken accelerates a lot quicker, in this moment. The fiery uppercut collides squarely with a guard that's anticipating it, however, crossed arms shoving outwards, shielding his body as Ryu veritably cries out. Not in pain, but in defiance, a roar that brings a whipping, blue-tinted wind to the fore, his aura burning as the column of fire bursts all around him.
It burns, it stings, but it does not consume him. He walks through the devastating technique as one might pass over hot coals, the World Warrior briskly shaking off his bare, singed arms with a nod. "Think you've got enough in you to finish me off after that?" Ryu half-taunts, half-dares, and half-questions. Because he is a man who gives 150% /or more/. Like the way his world all compresses in a moment to this instant, this fight. How he seems able to watch every muscle fiber twitch each time Ken's stance shifts a half-millimeter.
COMBATSYS: Ryu calculates his next move.
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Ken 0/-------/-------|=======\=------\1 Ryu
Ken is already pushing himself to his limits, and like their master, Ryu is standing there demanding more. A loud laugh escapes his mouth as he tries to regain that precious energy he just wasted upon the mighty vagabond. "Gouken'd most likely be laughing his ass off at us. 'TOO MANY WASTED MOVEMENTS!' ..I can see it now."
Ken's breathing starts to slow as he rebalances himself, taking a few deliberate steps away from Ryu. It's obvious he's having to re-compose himself, and right now he will lose if he doesn't.
COMBATSYS: Ken gains composure.
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Ken 0/-------/----===|=======\=------\1 Ryu
Yes, Ryu doesn't tolerate his own limits, why should he tolerate Ken's?!? Really. "Wasted movements?" Ryu inquires, arching one dark brow cluelessly. Really, there's something to his feigned cluelessness. Most of the Ansatsuken master's movements are to very efficient, deceptively direct ends. He wastes little, despite remaining light on his feet, coiled to strike... or to defend.... or to move entirely out of position in a flash that most people couldn't follow with the naked eye.
The rush of air announces he arrival at Ken's flank. It's sudden, it's unrelenting, it's also... exactly what Gouken would have done.
The young Ryu breathes, tries to clear his head, stares at his master through what looks like four mornings' worth of fog to his eyes. But what Gouken had asked for was the will to strike again, even through that exhaustion. Could he push? Suddenly, the fog clears, and...
Now, it's Ryu's elbow aligned with his battle brother's cranium. An all-out, lunging heave of weight and muscle. It's meant to daze. So that there's no resistance when he whips his weight around, drops low, and /erupts/ skyward, crashing his fist in for the blonde battler's jaw with jarring, launching force. "SHOOOOOOOOOOOOOORYUKEN!!!!!!"
COMBATSYS: Ken blocks Ryu's Shin Shoryuken+.
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Ken 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Ryu
Ryu's elbow is nothing for anyone to laugh at. The force of the strike generally would send Ken reeling, however he's already preparing himself for it, once more starting to notice the slight shifts in Ryu's own stance. They've fought and trained alongside eachother for so long, that its almost like childs play at times to see what the other is about to do.
As Ryu rockets upwards, Ken's arms are there to receive the impact, being lifted clean off his feet and sent hurtling across the room, only to land in a sloppy roll to which he then springs back up to his feet from. Ryu's truly a monster in his own right now.
The US Champion's eyes focus once more upon Ryu, carefully watching his every move. If his body twitches? Then Ken's already going on guard. It's time to lure Ryu in and allow him to make the next move.
COMBATSYS: Ken focuses on his next action.
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Ken 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Ryu
It's a blow that's ended more than a few fights, but Ken weathers it. Still on the defensive - or at least, still seeking that time to prepare. Perhaps in buying these moments, he's found that time; but Ryu isn't banking on it. Instead, he again steps it up a notch with seemingly boundless energy - and enthusiasm. The young champion delivered his forboding and heavy news, now he puts his money where his mouth is. Pushes Ken's skill, and his own, to the edge. It's what the nomad /lives/ for, and it shows.
Like, 'focus once more upon Ryu' is the aforementioned Ansatsuken Dragon, steely eyed, making a contested zone of the area known as Ken's grill. Both hands launch out, seeking purchase on the other fighter's garb. Then, Ryu is abruptly dropping away, and back, leveraging with a sudden sweep of his foot, the other launching in for Ken's midsection, should he find his grip. Ryu would then quickly lose said grip, and send Ken /hurtling/ away, probably into a wall or other inconvenient obstruction. "HAAAAAH!"
COMBATSYS: Ken interrupts Tomoe Nage EX from Ryu with Shinryuu Ken+.
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Ken 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Ryu
Ken truly does live for this himself, and it's truly been a long time since he's had such a satisfying fight such as this. Wether he wins or loses, right now it doesn't matter. Ryu has pushed him farther and harder then he's been pushed on his own, and really, only the man that stands before him has done that successfully.
As Ryu's hands grasp ahold of Ken's gi, the crimson clad Ansatsuken user is being flung once again, however it doesn't go quite as Ryu plans. As Ryu lets go of Ken's gi, the US Champion is twisting his body to quickly plant his feet once more upon the ground, using the time to once more cause his right arm to explode to life with fiery chi. He launches forward towards Ryu like a rocket, catching his friend truly and fully with the same attack he failed to truly to perform just only scant moments ago.
"SHINRYUU KEN!"
That would be a strong affirmation in favor of Ken having found his footing. The burning dragon punch sends Ryu right back away from his battle brother, fire wisping off his burned frame as he crashes into the office wall himself, instead, shifting just enough to take the brunt of the impact with his shoulder... but the damage has been done. Blood runs freely from his nose, lip split from the singular blow. "Hah... was wondering.. if you could pull that off."
Apparently, pushing Ken to that peak and coming out with a battered face is a perfectly acceptable outcome in Ryu's book. The nomad isn't about to topple now, though. Not yet. He reaches deeper, clenches his jaw, and meets Ken as he lands. Even if that does involve some serious pain, just now. He launches into a quick, singular spin, not unlike the earlier Hurricane Kick, though this time his heel launches out only one quick, hard rotation, leading into a second as he lands, seeking to take Ken's feet right out from under him right about ankle level. Very suddenly.
COMBATSYS: Ken effortlessly dodges Ryu's Medium Kick.
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Ken 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Ryu
Once that foot comes sweeping out, Ken's leaping over it. The knowledge that if he were to go down this last time, he won't be getting back up driving him forward. His vision is slowly blurring and his breath is ragged, yet thats to be expected when he's fighting to this extent. All that's left is a lone grin, which he barely has the energy to keep that up.
He only really has one last burst within him, and already he's rushing towards Ryu, knowing that this gambit will be his last. Once more Ken's spinning on the ball of his left foot, the kick however this time significantly different, a resounding and hopefully devistating reverse roundhouse.
COMBATSYS: Ryu blocks Ken's Ushiro Mawashi-geri.
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Ken 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 Ryu
Ken may want to refactor his 'final burst' - because Ryu's not going out like that. Not yet. It's likely something of a mantra for fighting, for training. Somehow, the wanderer in the white gi always manages that extra step. Long past when any reasonable fellow would stop fighting. One way... or likely the other. Vision focusing past blood, sweat, and shouting nerves, Ryu meets Ken's kick early, a flexed arm colliding forearm to calf, the force enough to send an audible thunderclap through the office, the packing of flesh and muscle and bone against its equal, resilient opposite.
Ryu's bare feet sliiiide anchoring along the floor, before he launches into an answering number. There's no sprint, just sudden ascent, a leap that brings him about every bit as swiftly as it brings him up. Ryu's right foot launches around, and lances out, seeking to clean Ken's clock with a straight-on whirling heel for his jawline. However inspired Ken's performance, his battle brother never makes it easy, does he?
COMBATSYS: Ken blocks Ryu's Senpuu Kyaku.
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Ken 0/-------/-----==|======-\-------\0 Ryu
All that remains now is the sheer joy of battle within Ken. His left arm rises up and catches the brunt of Ryu's foot. The pain is incredible, but really its not enough to truly take Ken down just yet. His breathing is beyond ragged now, and his body is truly starting to act sluggish. However, there's just something about Ryu that is forcing him to continue on when every nerve in his body is screaming for rest.
Ken's hands suddenly fly out once more towards Ryu's body, seeking to grab ahold of his gi. If he manages to latch on, once more Ryu will be sent flying due to that very throw the two of them are well known for.
COMBATSYS: Ryu blocks Ken's Jigoku-guruma.
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Ken 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Ryu
Ryu goes for a tumble! Wheeee! Over, around, and up, and away. He sails clear of Ken with alarming velocity, inverting into a sudden, launching kick towards the ceiling. He crouches upside down for a moment, and vaults off, landing amidst a tumble of shrapnel from the ceiling, which cracks outwards in an intricate, spreading starburst of cracking structure. Blood runs from countless small cuts on nearly every bit of exposed skin Ryu's got from all his crash landings and near-saves, scrape-by's and stubborn refusals to stay down, and now he spits crimson aside, breathing heavily.
Does he pause? Relent? Offer a draw? Hell no. That would just ruin the moment! "HADOOOOOUKEN!!!"
The most dangerous vagabond in the world summons /more/ energy, a brilliant blast of blue erupting from his palms as he thrusts them in at Ken. A blast of pure spirit is projected directly towards his similarly skilled battle brother's position, the chi swirling about a supercharged, luminescent core.
COMBATSYS: Ken fails to slow Hadouken from Ryu with Hadouken.
> Determined Hit! <
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Ryu 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Ken can no longer fight.
[ \\\\ <
Ryu 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Ryu wanders on to find the next challenge.
Ken's truly scraping the bottom of the barrel now for energy, and seemingly Ryu is ready to continue leaping around like a damned monkey. A slight shake of Ken's head is all he can give as the most dangerous vagabond in the world is launching another of those blue chi balls at him. All Ken can do is try to mimic and hope for the best in this scenerio.
His hands quickly try to gather whatever chi he can, barely scraping by as Ryu already is sending a full force Hadouken his way.
"HADOU---"
The words barely escape Ken's lips as the hadouken truly fails to leave his hands, making one wonder if Dan Hibiki had hijacked his body as some great way to get back at the Ansatsuken users. Yet, no one will ever know because right now the US Champion finds himself being flung backwards, and landing in a crumpled heap on the ground.
"...Ow...Heh.. heh heh heh..." Slowly but surely, even though he lost, Ken is starting to laugh, reveling in the battle that had just taken place.
"So, how long you staying around for this time?"
There's a heavy breath released as the force of the Hadouken transfers through and into Ken, the observant veteran keenly aware of the tenuous grasp on fighting focus his battle brother has. ... to say nothing of himself. Eyes close, open, and Ryu draws deep breaths as he crosses to Ken, and offers a gloved hand easily.
"I've always been here."
Log created on 21:34:10 11/13/2011 by Ryu, and last modified on 03:14:28 11/14/2011.