WAR! - WAR! Week 3: China vs Japan

Description: As Chinese forces keep the Japanese miltary busy, Vega and some select creations rampage around Southtown. The Psycho Master seeks to force Kain to do something about the fighters stopping his forces around the world, but the wily young man manages to escape at the last moment after a TERRIBLE beating.



It was only a matter of time, of course. With China just being a stone's throw away from the small island nation of Japan, it was inevitable that the conflict would reach its shores. Japanese warships, fighter jets, and land forces have been focused on the western borders, watching the the characteristic flood of grunts that have been laying a thick trail of crimson in their wake across the Asian mainland. While admirable, it's an assumption that is going to cost them dearly.

There was next to no warning once the first attacks began on the outskirts of Southtown. Isolated violence is nothing new to the punch-drunk city, so reports of assaults on the borders didn't gather much attention. But when hospitals start finding themselves flooded with injured people of all calibers, SOMEONE had to take notice! The news is thick with the skirmish on the country's western shores, but no one expected a different sort of army stomping through the streets. Instead of waves of olive-garbed grunts, only a small handful of people make their way toward Howard Tower. Actually, "people" would be too good for them. Giant, hulking men with thick, bulging muscles. Ugly as sin. Brain-dead.

Cybernetic.

Between this mesh of metal and flesh, Vega's own personal guard are also wreaking havoc wherever they can. Even the weakest fighters are targetted and beaten without a thought given to their survival. Some get away with fractures and concussions, and those are the lucky ones. It seems that they'er content to just keep the rabble of this city busy while their master marches toward the Tower alone. At one point, he and Kain had a temporary alliance. It would appear that the tenuous stand of peace has finally fallen apart.

It's somewhat petty, but Kain can't help enjoying occupying the rebuilt Geese Tower. Geese's downfall was a very good day, and making use of his seat of power just rubs salt in the wounds. Of course, Kain doesn't personally need the whole thing. He prefers to keep his resources spread out, and his lair is definitely his own mansion. But it's a wonderful symbol.

Of course, Kain is just about the only person here now. Word of Vega's approach has spread on a wave of fleeing people. Everybody who couldn't fight has fled, and anybody under Kain's orders who can has been sent to more important targets. Either to defend them, or to take advantage of the chaos. He doesn't value most of his minions very highly, but there's no point in throwing them against Vega. They wouldn't even slow him down.

The doors to the tower are propped open, and Kain sits inside at the reception desk, leaning back with his feet up. The occasional scream or explosion helps him track just how close Vega's forces are getting. The tablet computer he's got resting on the desk next to him also shows a series of video feeds, though a number of them are blanked out at this point, having gotten too close, or just unlucky. So Kain's got a pretty good idea of what's coming for him, but he doesn't seem to be in a rush to leave.

It's always a nice change of pace to meet with someone with some composure...and the might to actually warrant it. Vega stands in the street at the base of Geese Tower, simply staring at its heights. A few people are still fleeing in this area, but they grant the Psycho Master a very, VERY wide berth. What is he doing? Is he preparing? Is he frightened of who he'll find inside? Maybe he's even reciting his lines.

No, it's the chaos of the fine city. The cries of countless people ring out everywhere. The air is thick with trauma and agony, spectrums full of emotion. The dictator revels in it, breathing in deeply as though sampling a fine fragrance. The only fly in the ointment is the man waiting for him in this tower. Though he's not before him yet, the lack of fear is...honestly a bit infuriating. His wide mouth spreads into a feral sneer at the prospect of this meeting. It should be...fun.

With bold steps, his booted heals touch upon the fine tile floor of the lobby. The clank of his shinguards, the billowing of his cape; the terrible silence that accompanies his entrance could only be broken by these things. Any peons in the room had best hold their breath, lest they smother themselves in the thick air that surrounds this intruder. It's been a while since Kain had last laid eyes on Vega. he is certainly different. Physically, he appears the same, but there's a power within him that is beyond even the might he already commanded. If nothing else, it explains his confidence in attempting to take the world by force. Walking to exactly the center of the lobby, the lone dictator comes to a stop. His arms lift and fold across his massive chest, his cloak hanging limp in the lack of breeze. "It would seem that you're the only one in this pathetic town with the sense to not get involved in my affairs."

Kain gazes calmly at Vega as he strides in, though he can sense the change in the dictator. Vega was already quite dangerous, but it's a bit late to do much reassessing now. Heinlein swivels the chair around slightly so that he can look head on at Vega, though he's still leaning back with his feet up. Uninvited guests should not be expecting full respect. "I've been watching your progress with interest, but it's really not my concern if you want to conquer the world. I've made some nice profit off all the chaos, as a matter of fact." As he speaks he taps idly on the tablet, glancing over some stock numbers.

Then he looks back to Vega and his voice grows colder. "It does become my concern when you come barging into my city with your toy soldiers, stirring up trouble." He lifts his feet up off the desk, then leans forward on his elbows, steepling his fingers. "So, why don't you go and conquer your next third world country, and stop giving me problems that I actually am going to have to deal with cleaning up?"

Somehow, the crimson-suited man's grin spreads further. Were Kain a lesser man, such insubordination would be swiftly punished--and most undoubtedly lethal. Is there a tinge of respect for the blonde, perhaps one of the only mortals that could match Vega's strength? No, surely not. No matter how expertly Heinlein commands the forces around him, he is only mortal.

He is inferior.

"Ah, yes..." Vega pulls his hands behind his back, turning to pace across the room. He neither creates nor closes the distance between the two; he's simply moving for the sake of movement. Each step is slow and measured, each tap of his boot upon the floor crisp. "YOUR city." He turns on his heel and looks out of the lobby doors. There's smoke in the distance. Either one of his creations has been taken down, thus setting off the explosive cores embedded in each of them, or somebody is having a bit of fun and taking advantage of the chaos. Either way, it's a welcome sight to the military leader. "A horrible place that I wouldn't WASTE MY TIME WITH--" He pauses, taking a moment to breathe in deep. As he speaks about his reason for being here, it renews the anger, the murderous hatred he felt for its denizens when news of his forces' defeats first reached him. When he resumes speaking, it's calmer. Barely. "I wouldn't BE here if your idiotic denizens would leave well enough alone." Surely, Kain has heard about it, how fighters across the world are proving themselves to be heroes. "I have no love for this place, but these maggots will learn their place." He turns back to Kain, his chin high, obviously awaiting some sort of reply...and it had better be favorable.

A smirk crawls across Kain's face as Vega insults the city and its inhabitants. After all, Kain doesn't really care about the city all that much except in terms of how useful it is to him. He follows Vega's pacing with his eyes, listening until the dictator stops and looks back at him. "Yes, this city does seem to attract the types who want to save the world and be the hero. It really would have been more convenient if you hadn't failed to kill them earlier."

Heinlein leans back again, looking at the ceiling for a moment. "Fortunately, they aren't really my problem. If you want to teach them a harsh lesson when they come after you, all well and good. But not here. Some chaos is good for business, but this much chaos, this close to home... no." He drops his gaze, looking back to Vega. "With the damage you've already caused, I think I'm being quite patient. But it's time for you to withdraw."

There's a tic in Vega's eye. On the exterior, he is doing his best to keep himself in check. While not afraid of Kain, he knows that an outright battle would take a lot out of him...energy that would be better-spent elsewhere. On the other hand, he is not one to let anyone--ANYONE--hold a failure of any sort over him. And then, he outright demands that he leaves? The very notion is preposterous! Unable to hold it in, the Shadaloo master lets out a sudden belt of dark laughter.

"Leave? Oh, I think not. Not until these peons understand and FEAR their superiors. ...A task that, I might add, you have wholly failed to accomplish." He turns to Kain directly now. An air of oppressiveness spreads out from him, a chill that deepens with each passing moment as the Psycho Master exerts but a fraction of his will. The man's eyes seem brighter, but only by virtue of the thin purple haze creeping in from around them. He brings a hand forward, balling it into a thick fist. "Once I have finished, I don't care what you do with the husk; this soft country is useless to me."

Kain slowly rises from his seat, planting his hands palms down on the desk in front of him. "Luckily, I don't need to impress a few weaklings until they grovel before me to show I'm their superior. I just need to be better than them." He smiles thinly for a moment. "And I think you may have misunderstood me. I wasn't making any requests."

Vega's not the only one whose aura can have an impact on the environment around them. The temperature seems to drop in the room, and the lights seem to dim as the ambient chi flows in toward Kain. There's no overt sign about Kain himself to the naked eye, although maybe there's a bit of a glint in his eye. Between himself and Vega, though, the atmosphere in the room is so oppressive that it might be physically dangerous to a normal person.

Indeed, to the very well-trained eye, the room effectively bisects itself. Psycho Power floods Vega's side, a dark gout of mental energy that flows out from the man in copious amounts. On the other side swells with an apparently equally-potent swelling of natural enemy. As the diametrically opposed forces battle for supremacy, the tiles above and below are strained to the point of cracking here and there.

"Wishful thinking, then," Vega answers curtly. The smile in his lips is now long gone, replaced by the deep, terrible frown that more often defines his features. "Because you of all people should know what making demands of ME will get you.

The Dark Lord's posture finally shifts. A single boot pulls backward as he quarter-turns away. With feet spread and planted, He lifts his nearer fist as it finds itself coated in a thick, roiling mass of violet, flame-like power. Though it quickly disspates, it's replaced by a full-body coating of Psycho Power. The insolence of this whelp, the wounding of his pride, the seething fury of having to come out to this damnable town itself, it all festers. It FEEDS him.

COMBATSYS: Vega has started a fight here.

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Vega             0/-------/-------|


COMBATSYS: Kain has joined the fight here.

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Kain             0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0             Vega


COMBATSYS: Vega focuses on his next action.

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Kain             0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0             Vega


Kain sighs, shaking his head for a moment. "I see. Not unexpected. But then, I don't think you really came here expecting I'd roll over and die, either." He smiles thinly, standing up straight. "So let's see if you really are strong enough to take what's mine." Now, there's really no good, dignified way for Kain to directly approach Vega now. Hopping over the desk, or walking around the side of it... neither of those will really do.

So what Kain /does/ do is to sweep back one leg, then swing it forward, catching the massive, solid wood reception desk, lifting it off the floor with a loud scraping noise and sending it flying toward Vega. Material possessions are far too minor to worry about... and it can be assumed that at the very least this entire lobby will be getting trashed anyway.

COMBATSYS: Vega overcomes Huge Thrown Object from Kain with Psycho Shot.

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Kain             0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0             Vega


Impressive. Indeed, most men would simply not even consider such a massive piece of furniture as anything other than something to walk around. But no, Kain is not just any man. In days long past, he would be the very image of a diety, worshipped and loved. His might, his cunning, all are in a tier that few can match. For him to lift such an object with but a single leg and send it toward his unwanted visitor? It's a feat of strength that would leave most in awe.

How, then, would they look upon Vega? Is he truly the devil to match Heinlein's seraphic visage? As the desk approaches the Psycho Master, he wastes no time. His rear hand is already lifting up, already in motion. Its curled fingers bleed out rivulets of dark, corrosive power that all feed into one another like drops of blood forming a larger mass. In the blink of an eye, a tight congestion of compressed mental energy fights for release, bubbling and churning. It's a desire soon granted as Vega launches it forward. The tiny orb collides with the desk only to explode in an impressive mass of thick violet. The bubbling, corrosive thing eats away at the middle of the furnishing, leaving naught but two jagged halves to fly past on either side of their intended target.

Unfortunately for Kain, that deadly mass is now on a collision course toward him...and it's still hungry.

COMBATSYS: Kain blocks Vega's Psycho Shot.

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Kain             0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0             Vega


The psycho power may desire a target to eat through, but Kain doesn't present an easy meal. He sweeps out his right arm, smashing through the orb of energy with the back of his hand. The energy flies apart, losing coherence before it can reach Kain's body. A few wisps of violet energy continue to rise from his hand for a few moments, however.

And of course, while Kain might look angelic at first glance, once he's seen in action a viewer might come to a different conclusion. Still strong, cunning and graceful, but darker and with more violence. Perhaps not a demon, but at the very least a fallen angel. Which isn't to say he can't take flight. Kain runs forward before leaping at Vega, black flame shrouding his leg as he attempts to drive a kick into the dictator's torso.

COMBATSYS: Vega interrupts Schwarzer Stob from Kain with Fierce Kick.
-*- DEVASTATING HIT! -*-

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Kain             0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1             Vega


Kain had better not begin to compare himself to the likes of the Fallen. The Lord's Disgraced are insidious, terrible, and frightening...but they still hail to a single master. Just as Satan himself lords over the world's petty souls on his frozen throne, so too does Vega stand over all others on this azure and verdant rock. There is not a hint of fear, not a shred of worry as he faces the man's flames. Those that know him would be right to fear such a strike coming toward them. He could so effortlessly kill a man with less effort.

It is, however, not enough.

Vega's grin returns in full force, a twisted delight in the offering presented to him. He wants to bring the fight in close? Let him. Vega fears NO man. Even less does he fear the puffed-up, self-important brother-in-law of a maggot too useless to know when he's dead. His retaliation is swift and fierce. In a furious snap of his leg, he raises his foot to meet the other man's. He budges but an inch, steadfast and sturdy like the thickest wall. The impact is sure to compress joints in the most painful manner, the meeting so terrible that the nearest window cracks and bursts outward by sheer kinetic force. For a brief moment, black and purple mix in a frenzied, ravenous battle for supremacy. There is no stopping Vega's will, however. He will not--CAN not be stopped. Though the black flames lick his boots and shinguards, they're soon snuffed out by the overpowering might of mental energy coating the man's leg. This conflict, of course, lasts but an instant.

Kain could tell that Vega had gotten more powerful, but he honestly wasn't expecting this. He's stopped in mid-air by his foot impacting against Vega's, and while the shockwave from the impact is of little concern to him, the same can't be said for the flare up of Psycho Power that immediately follows it. Kain's eyes widen, slightly, just before he's engulfed in violet energy and sent flying back.

Even after taking a devastating blow like that, though, Kain still has the presence of mind to twist as he falls, throwing a gout of black flame in Vega's direction before skidding to a crouching stop, wisps of Psycho Power still trailing off of him. He then climbs to his feet, managing to look far less perturbed than he actually is. It's been a while since he took a hit like that.

COMBATSYS: Kain successfully hits Vega with Schwarze Flame.

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Kain             1/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1             Vega


It would be wise for Kain to submit after something like that, wouldn't it? Vega is basking in his newfound might and, as ever, not at all afraid to use it. His leg swings around and the foot touches on the ground again, but he doesn't close the distance. Just as he's sure that Kain's pride will lead to his destruction, so too does the Shadaloo master's hubris turn on him. Perhaps it's because he's so powerful that he's out of touch. Perhaps it's his great victories as of late. Perhaps it's just all of the easy fights he's had that makes him careless. After quite literally knocking away the younger man, he had expected some time for him to recover.

Instead, he's suddenly facing down a torrent of dark fire.

Oh, there had better be cameras running. The smug look on Vega's face is unabashed and open. It quickly melts into some semblance of surprise. He had truly been caught off-guard, for though he raises an arm to try and weather the storm, it's not enough. Twisted fire eats away at his uniform, eating wide holes into the cloak that billows behind him. Bits of red fabric melt away to reveal reddened flesh and even the stainless steel bracers around his wrists suffer deep, black scorch marks.

In an open mockery of Heinlein's actions earlier, the fire is swept away and again snuffed out with a wave of Vega's hand. A thick trail of psycho power remains in the wake, soon dissipating from view entirely. And then, once more, he laughs, a bitter and cruel thing. "PATHETIC!" As he speaks, the air grows even heavier. His emotions are clear and potent. The agony of burnt flesh feeds into his rage, which in turn feeds his power...and no one is more aware of that than Vega himself. "You should have killed me with that." He bends at the knees slightly, coiling his muscles. In an instant, he springs forward! Propelling himself with a telekinetic push, he slams his feet into the ground in front of Kain with all the force of a meteor. The floor cracks and divots beneath him, a ripple of force spreading outward that would knock all but the most nimble fighters off their feet, and if the blonde man can't keep his balance, so help him...

COMBATSYS: Vega successfully hits Kain with Psycho Punisher.
~ Cruel hit! ~

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Kain             1/---====/=======|=------\-------\0             Vega


There is no time wasted. Once the tremor brings even the slightest opening in Kain's defense, Vega's hand is upon his face. The godling's grip is vice-like and unbreakable as he lifts Heinlein by his face, his feet left to dangle a full foot over the ground. "You had your chance..." His right hand draws back. His fist is clenched. A dull coating of bright violet energy coalesces around his fist, soon growing into a brilliant and thick sheath. So much power does he collect in his hand that simply being NEAR it sets Kain's nerves alight despite the fact that arcs of lightning-like excess constantly bleed from the deadly bundle.

"Now, KNEEL before me!" With a single blow, Vega vents all of his fury, all of his wounded pride. It's a wonder that he doesn't punch right THROUGH his stomach, that his spine doesn't break from the impact. What may be worse is the sudden, concussive force as the fistful of bundled might hits him with the force of a train and then some, more than enough to launch him through the open doors and into the street itself. Oh, but don't worry. Still glowing from head to toe and now smiling with the intoxicating delight of inflicting such pain on another, Vega is quick to stalk out and follow his prey.

Kain is still moving at some speed when he hits the street, causing him to bounce several times before rolling to a stop. He's in no position to try to control his fall. After a moment he slams a hand down and pushes himself to one knee, then back to his feet as Vega strides toward him. His suit is torn, there's blood flowing from his mouth and scalp, and he's still seeing flashes of light across his field vision.

Heinlein clenches and unclenches his fists, but he doesn't waste energy on verbal sparring. Instead he brings both of his hands together, raw chi pooling between them, flicking from blue, to gold, then to black. And then beyond black, seeming to suck in the light around it as the energy condenses to an almost perfect sphere, occasionally marred by a brief flicker around the edges. The very air seems to shudder for a moment as he takes a deep breath, then launches it toward Vega.

Such a small looking thing, and should it connect there's not even a giant explosion. Those who can match Kain in mastery over chi are very few, and most of them aren't even really human anymore. There's much more you can do with it than just blow things up. Even as a master of Psycho Power, Vega is still a part of the flow of chi through the world, though he doesn't control it. And Kain is banking on that making it hard for Vega to defend against an attack that strikes at that level, flooding his body with energy in a brief, uncontrolled burst.

COMBATSYS: Vega stops Himmlischer Atem from Kain with Vega Warp.

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Kain             0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0             Vega


If there is ANYONE in this world that knows Vega's limits, it's... Well, it's not Vega. To himself, he has no limits. There is nothing beyond his grasp. Instead, Senoh knows full well of his master's weakness. He has stressed time and time and TIME again that in Vega's complete domination of oneself, it leaves one vulnerable to the powers that make up the other side of all life. Time and time and time again, he has felt the force that nature provides. Ever has he pitted his solitary will against the universe. Never will he yield. Never will he admit defeat. No matter how long it takes, his domination is inevitable. People, places, the very laws of nature itself; all will fall before the great Lord Vega.

Therefore, he can not afford to be stopped here. Could he defend against such a sublime pinnacle of chi manipulation? Perhaps. Most likely not. What he can do, however, is AVOID it. Had he simply teleported to the tower in the first place, perhaps Kain would have waited for a better opportunity. Instead, he walked. He stalked. He stepped and he leapt; absent was his usual method of travel. With luck, it would be unexpected; he could take his prey by surprise...

Even as the little ball of death threatens to unravel his very being, Vega...well, he beats it to the punch. His flesh, his clothing, everything pulls into the ether, leaving behind pale violet details as he gives his body up to his power. The blacker-than-black orb passes through harmlessly, sending the wisps of power swirling in the air like so much disturbed dust. Well behind Kain and ten feet overhead, the man folds himself back into reality, hovering with folded arms and the most smug, irritating expression ever seen on a man.

"You have this ONE chance, Heinlein. Reign in the dogs that feast upon your scraps or you will find that there exist levels of pain FAR beyond this. For all of your false power, you are less than NOTHING to me." He extends an arm and points down at Kain with a single, stern finger. "I will have nothing less than your full obedience without question. Without argument." Then, with a sweep of his arm, he commands in a booming voice, one that reverberates in the nearly-empty street. "Now, BEGONE from my sight!"

A tic actually starts up near Kain's eye. He's unsteady on his feet, may have internal bleeding, and he put a lot of energy into that last shot... which just winds up striking a building, the wall of which begins glowing white hot and then actually starts to melt, all in the space of a few seconds. But while Kain may fervently believe that the strong have the right to rule the weak... he'll die before putting himself in the weak category. Losing is one thing, bowing is quite another.

And Kain's reserves aren't completely depleted just yet. "If you think that's enough of a beating to impress me, you clearly don't know me very well." The talking is used to try to cover the moment he needs to test his legs while turning around to face Vega, then suddenly spring up toward the other man. Black flame launches him forward, then begins to billow out around him, engulfing a larger and larger area which quickly threatens to encompass the spot where Vega is hovering.

COMBATSYS: Vega reflects Schwarze Kreuz from Kain with Psycho Vanish.

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Kain             0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0             Vega


It's like something out of an animated series, now! Despite the danger, those holed up in the buildings around Geese Tower can't help but look outside. A man is floating--FLOATING--in the air, seemingly uninterested in gravity and its various accompanying laws. On the other side, a man is covered in BLACK fire who shares a similar disregard for physics! From the outside, it's a truly awe-inspiring scene. How, oh how, can the flying godling defend himself against such a fierce display of overwhelming power?

To be honest, there's a part of Vega that wanted him to refuse, that was hoping he would rebel. As his generous offer is outright refused and the helpless maggot squirms upon the asphalt, a smile graces his lips. No, a simle would convey some sort of purity. A malignent mockery of joy twists itself upon his features, lips spread wide and teeth gleaming in the unnatural shadow that his cap's visor spreads across his face. He wants to put up a fight? Good. Crushing the weak has always been one of his most treasured hobbies.

Vega's hand lifts up, his fingers straight and his hand knife-like. He doesn't falter in the face of Kain's attack, no. Instead, the full length of his arm is again engulged in the black flame's antithesis. So far, he has made an effort to display his excess, to show Kain that he is NOT the same as he was. Already, his might was beyond the reckoning of mortals, and now he has surpassed even that? Is there no limit to his growth? Waiting for the perfect moment, the man lets out a callous laugh. His raised hand pulls into a fist and, with a single swing, lets loose a swath of swiftly-bloating psycho power that bisects Kain's deadly coating as though it were water. So exposed, the mental energies dance across the full length of his body. Unlike the flames, THIS energy seeps into the skin, overloading nerves and senses with fabricated agony. The brain is flooded with mixed tortures: his eyes plucked, his skin flayed, his organs seared. For however long the pain may appear to last, it's but seconds before the echoes of power bleed off and dissipate...and when he comes to, there's still the fact that he's been knocked out of the air toward the street again while Vega himself remains safe and secure in his sky's throne.

Once again Kain hits the ground hard. This time he's not moving quite as fast, but he's just not in any shape to try to protect himself from the impact as he's knocked out of the air. Vega might still let him run away at this point, just to gloat about it. And taking some time to regroup and account for Vega's increased power might be a good idea... but Kain does have a sense of pride.

He manages to lever himself up enough to face Vega again, though he's not up for launching himself skyward another time. Instead he points both hands toward Kain, focusing his remaining power on offense rather than trying to get his body back to a more functioning state. A torrent of fire shoots out from Kain's palms, crossing the distance toward Vega without diminishing, and the inferno is kept up for several full seconds.

COMBATSYS: Vega blocks Kain's Schwarze Kanone.

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Kain             0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0             Vega


Having Kain pull together the first time was interesting. It was AMUSING. For a fool that isn't smart enough to bend to a superior being, correcting his flawed thinking offered a momentary indulgence. But now? Now, it's just dragging on. In the short frame of time between Kain getting back up and offering his vile flamethrower toward the heavens, Vega's got time enough to find the fleeting pleasure to have a bitter aftertaste. Really, he will never understand why inferior creatures refuse to simply do his bidding without question. Pride? Only worthy beings can afford such luxuries...to say nothing of hubris.

As the assault coems and threatens to burn him to ashes, a light coating of psycho power envelops his body. His knees pull up and his arms cross over his chest, face buried behind their protective bulk. His meager defense does wonders to blunt the man's fury, the holes in his attire growing larger. His left side is fully exposed, his pants little more than ashen tatters upon his unmentionables. His belt seems to have survived intact with a good half-foot of fabric surviving. His jacket is fully consumed from one collarbone to the opposite wrist, though the hot metal armbands remain. Even so, his skin LOOKS just as red as his clothes, burnt and scorched horribly. It hurts. It HURTS. This...this tiny, festering pustule of a man refuses his generocity?

"ENOUGH!"

Once again, the gout of fire is spread by a spreading cocoon of violet flames, eating away at the chi as much as it consumes his psycho power. Gravity seems to finally regain its grasp on the man with a vengeance. He comes screaming down from on high, both boot heels together, the knife of violet tearing through the fire in an effort to stomp. Kain. FLAT.

COMBATSYS: Vega successfully hits Kain with Head Press.

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Kain             0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0             Vega


Kain is driven into the ground hard enough that the asphalt of the street cracks underneath him and he actually manages to sink several inches from the force of the assault. And now, pride or not, things have moved into thinking about living to fight another day territory. To say nothing of not wanting to give Vega the satisfaction of literally grinding Kain under his bootheel for long.

Heinlein manages to lift one arm, then slams his hand down onto the surface of the street. Nothing happens for a moment, but then the ground begins to rumble, a few cracks begin to open up with golden light shining through, and then an explosion rips up quite a large section of the street, sending everything on top of it flying... or perhaps almost everything.

Kain takes the opportunity to make good his escape, forcing all the energy he can muster into making his body move, even though bone and muscle complain fiercely. He can move fast enough that just blinking will give him time to get out of sight... but he won't be keeping that up for long. And after that he's probably going to be crawling for a while.

COMBATSYS: Kain can no longer fight.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Vega             0/-------/--=====|


COMBATSYS: Kain successfully hits Vega with Himmlische Macht.

[                          \\\\  <
Vega             1/-----==/=======|


Oh, but to Vega, it's over the instant that he's got his boot upon Kain's head. Crushing him into the street, there's no greater pleasure than bullying sometimes! He pays the downed man no mind; instead, he lifts his face and extends his arms out to either side, palms up and fingers curled into claws. Oh, and he laughs. Does he ever laugh. In his hubris, he completely fails to notice Kain bring out the last gun, a desperate attempt to escape. At the first crack of pavement, his laughter stops and he looks forward.

This is not going to end well.

Reeling backwards, he lifts an arm to shield his eyes, but there's no dodging something like THAT. It's like the very earth itself opened up to defy him, spilling its essence all at once. In an instant, he's bathed in that golden light, stubbornly refusing being lifted for as long as he can. Instead, he weathers the full brunt of it, chi ripping through flesh, nearly the rest of his uniform finding itself completely consumed. All that's left of him is his shinguards, boots, and a small portion of his pants when it's all done. His body is awash with heat blisters and rent flesh, blood running down in thick red lines. When he turns back to where Kain was and finds him gone, there's an inhuman, ungodly howl of rage that rings through the streets, a psychic wave of anger that leaves grown men kneels and clutching their heads. Oh, he WILL find Kain again, and he will not be so diplomatic. Breathing heavily and furious, he looks upon Geese Tower. If nothing else, there are sure to be plenty of innocents for him to vent upon before he leaves, so long as his body holds together...

Log created on 19:51:37 02/29/2012 by Vega, and last modified on 09:18:56 03/01/2012.