Description: Reeling from the defeat of his armies, Vega attempts to make his way back to his temporary headquarters beneath Beijing. Ah, but it won't be that easy! Hero after hero rises up against him, daring to challenge his might. The would-be saviors fall like dominos, but Sagat himself proves to be a very formidable roadblock. Is Vega truly defeated? Is the nightmare truly over?
It's in shambles. All of it! The nuclear warhead going off in "home turf" wasn't the most horrific thing to happen in this way, but it WAS the point on it. Since that day, his careful hold on things had been unravelling at a maddening pace. Dignitaries and diplomats once securely under his thumb found something of a spine, threatening to come out with the truth about who had been behind everything.
Unfortunately for them, Vega's personal assassins are very, very good at what they do.
With the bulk of the Chinese army liberated and his own personal army all but obliterated, it's high time to get the hell out of Beijing and slip back into the underworld until the time is right for another try. The man is incensed as he moves through the alleyways and shelters of the worst of the city's downtrodden housing. His rage is vented on the poor slobs who are just trying to find warmth around burning cans or huddling in old, dangerous buildings. A dumpster is sent flying now and again, propelled by psychic energies that have been let free to rampage.
All about the city, people are looking for him. The armies are thick in the streets at the fact that "someone" had been putting pressure on the People's Republic congress is still at large. Vega is close, though. Another hundred yards and he'll be at the sloppy, board-disguised entrance to his makeshift base of operations buried deep under Chinese soil. With the way he's moving, though, it won't be at all long until he's attracted unwanted attention...
Zach Glen has had a rough week. Yes, he had managed to avoid trouble with his commander/handler over that wrecked vehicle in Myanmar. (Successful missions go a good way in getting people to overlook some indiscretions.) Yes, he (with a LOT of help) had managed to rescue Chun-Li from... whatever the hell it was that was done to her. And yes, Zach was being sent in to seek out the mastermind behind the war.
If only the blasted ten alarm bell headache Zach had been nursing since that brawl would go away. The migraine, caused no doubt by the Vega-induced psychic feedback Zach had experienced, had lessened only slightly over the last two days. People who knew about Zach's powers and how they worked would no doubt be concerned about it if they did. Concern would get him pulled from the mission. Accomplishing the mission was Zach's ticket /back/ to civilian life.
Like hell he'd let /THAT/ happen.
So it happens that Zach, driving a second Light Armored Vehicle, was cruising the streets of Beijing. He had no destination in mind, but felt himself being... guided by something. Something familiar, but at the same time hard to place. When this was all done, and he was able to look back on it, the psion would be able to tell you what was so familiar about it, but not today. A gut instinct, an incredibly LOUD gut instinct, told Zach to take the left that wasn't really a left and hit the gas while doing it. Zach gave a loud yell, thanking his stars that he had strapped in.
The vehicle crashed through two fairly flimsy walls, smashing into an alleyway. Crimson and black, limned in violet violence that Zach knew so well. Zach didn't slam the brakes, climb out, and make some proclamation about justice. Hell no. This is /VEGA/ we're talking about. Mastermind of Shadaloo, personal archetect of many people's personal tragedies. To say nothing of the intense, literally room shaking nightmares Zach experienced during that invasion of Thailand. Zach did not hit the brakes at all.
He slammed the accelerator to the floor. Vega's keen psychic senses might pick up the flare of aggression Zach is giving off, and that may give the Psychomaster a chance to dodge.
COMBATSYS: Zach has started a fight here.
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Zach 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Vega has joined the fight here as a boss!
VEGA
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Zach 0/-------/-------|
Munin is still feeling out of it after the events with the nuke going off. She was lucky to get off reletively light compared to the others. Cracked collarbone, and some scrapes and scratches. Oh, and the radiation, but she's handling it as well as she can. Like all workaholics or obsessives, she is ignoring as much of it as she can or that can't be taped up. Keeping close to the area, she is keeping her eyes and ears open for any sign of Vega she can find. True, she's scared shitless of him after the encounter in India, but she isn't about to do nothing!
As she crosses a street a short distance away, she sees a vehicle suddenly swerve, crashing through walls of buildings! She races to catch up, in case she can help if there are any casualties. That is, until she reaches the alley.
Vega!
There's a flash of purple chi from her eyes as she snaps out her shortswords, and sends an arc of shadowy chi at the insane dictator!
COMBATSYS: Munin has joined the fight here.
VEGA
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Zach 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Munin
It had been three weeks. Three solid, entire weeks of running, and fighting. Everywhere she had turned, another soldier was there, and ready to kill. She didn't want to do this any more. The madness needed to stop. This was all fine and dandy, of course, until the explosion that all but levelled anything in a 10 mile radius. Behold the power of a nuclear explosion. Even though she was hundreds of miles away at the time, the concussive force almost blew her over. Just like that, it was over. This was last week.
Just like that, Fuji had been forgotten about-- a purposed serial killer who's motivations were driven by the sheer hatred of China. Propaganda that had been spread immediately turned to the Holocaust that had internally killed more people than she could ever hope to. Yet still, she had to leave. Leaving meant heading to Beijing. Regardless of her intent, NATO's occupation meant an easier time to leave, but a two syllable name arose to her ears, which sounded different. She could speak both fluent Cantonese and Mandarin, but this name. It stood out.
Vega.
She inquired about it. It cost her nearly everything she had to learn more-- a man who ran the Shadaloo. The man who's organization destroyed her temple and killed anyone she deemed important in her life.
If she were to kill noone else, Vega would be the last. She was hurting on the inside-- She could almost cry. She could feel the hearts of others bleeding in a similar manner. She had been trailing him for hours now, nearly a half a mile behind him. She would not be there for the initial confrontation-- but woe to the man when she finally catches up to him. She could sense him. A being of such power, she could smell him out. What she would do against this power when she got there? She had no clue.
COMBATSYS: Fuji has joined the fight here.
VEGA
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Zach 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Fuji
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Munin 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Fuji takes no action.
VEGA
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Zach 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Fuji
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Munin 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Vega dodges Zach's Huge Random Weapon.
VEGA
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Zach 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Fuji
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Munin 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Vega overcomes Shadow Wave from Munin with Psycho Shot.
VEGA
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Zach 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Fuji
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Munin 0/-------/-------|
Zach isn't the only one with an advantage, here. He is, however, the only one PAYING ATTENTION. As Vega rips through the alleyway, he's not focusing on what's around him. With his vision and attention forward, he should make for an easy target. He should be no match for the sudden bursting of brick and weather-rotted ploywood and the armored transport that bursts through them.
But if he were so easy to kill, he would not be Vega, would he?"
In the fraction of a second between the wall near him giving way and the sight of the transport tearing in toward him, the dictator looks up. His forward foot plants for a momentary pause in his gait. A truck? /Really?/ Before Zach's makeshift murder weapon can crush him against the opposing wall, Vega has simply vanished in a violet blink, reappearing just a few feet back in the direction he had come from. His mouth is agape in momentary surprise, but then his features twist up in the heat of rage all over again. Oh, whoever did this is in for it. He will burn. He will bleed. He will--
He's not alone. Barely does he picks up on Munin's presence, like an optometrist nearly missing a speck of dust on a finished lens. His teeth grit and without even waiting to see who might be there, he turns and swings an arm! Freshly-fed anger manifests in a churning, bubbling mass of deep purple psycho power, a baseball swing toward the skulking vermin. Did he know that the girl was already on the attack? It doesn't matter; that little ball of might will overcome all that it encounters, chewing through the chi like a ravenous, living thing.
"Have you not suffered enough!? Lucky enough to live, and now you seek your death by my hand?" His voice is loud, the words amplified by the psycho energy that bleeds off of him. When he speaks, the sound rattles in one's skull, reverberating as though coming from a massive speaker. "SO BE IT! A fitting reward for mindless peons too primitive to know their place!"
The small wheeled tank skids to a halt when its driver realizes there's no satisfying sound of impact. Zach recalls another who could do that. He should have been ready for it. The psychic clambers out of the driver's hatch, chucking his vehicular helmet aside. Then Vega makes /his/ proclamation. Zach doubles over at the skull-grating sensation that is felt almost more than it is heard. The young press-ganged Marine clutches at his head for a moment as he hunkers down on the front slope of the LAV.
It takes Zach a moment, a dangerously /long/ moment, along with a serious effort of his own formidable will to get his bearings. A realization is made. This feeling. "/You!/," Zach yells as he brings himself upright. "You're the one who did that to Chun-Li!" The feeling is unmistakable. Zach's rage at what he had witnessed in Myanmar, along with the fear he felt in facing this monsterous man, brought his own psychic energies to easy grasp.
Somewhere in the back of his mind Zach knows that this is a mistake, using strong emotions... using /these particular/ strong emotions might be a terrible idea. However, he is in the psychic equivalent of a storm. He'll take any advantage, perceived or otherwise, he can get.
Gold, highlighted with a lighter shade of violet than what Vega might give off, erupts from Zach's frame like a bonfire suddenly flaring up. The psychic dashes towards Vega, getting in as close as he can before unloading a punch that is a cross between a right hook and right uppercut. Violet-tinged gold spins around the incoming fist, adding the strength of Zach's resolve to the strike in an explosive punch!
COMBATSYS: Vega successfully hits Munin with Psycho Shot.
VEGA
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Zach 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Fuji
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Munin 0/-------/---====|
Munin stops dead as her projectile is overcome, and tries to brace herself, but it is to no avail. Vegas attack hits her to terrible effect, enhancing the damage her small frame has already endured recently. She isn't out of it yet, though! She grits her teeth as she tries her best to shake it off, commenting "You're going to pay for what you've done...", and moves in closer to assist.
The vehicles hood is between her and them, so with a deft leap, she is up and over, bounces off the wall, and comes in with her swords pointing downwards, right at the megalomaniac!
The sounds of combat were unmistakable. Her head lifted, ears listening. sounds of a crash. the feeling of energy flaring. The fluxuation of what she was positive was Vega's power. The voice. The trembling that emanated from it were enough to rattle the windows of the alley she was on. The alleys were not fast enough. She felt more alive like this. She could feel her environment, dingy as it was. The prospect of rain looming in the sky as she bound up a nearby ladder to a rooftop.
suprisingly, the roofs here were tightly packed together, making any leap and bound doable for the blind woman. She noticed quite quickly that as she drew closer, What she perceived to be Vega had stopped. As she bound, her collar was popped up, buttons being undone mid bound. Her jacket found her way onto her left shoulder-- her makeshift cape. She bound down to a lower building, about a whole 10 feet above the battle. She was shaking. She could feel him.
He was everything she could ever possibly imagine him to be. Except worse.
She wanted to stop, but that adrenaline got to her. 2 other people may have been fighting him already, but Fuji was going to strike him down. Down she jumped, hook cane held with both hands in a dramatic, powerful downward slice, in hopes of crushing him early. She, unlike the others, announced her entry.
"...DIE...!"
A three way attack even Ryu would have difficulty dealing with, surely.
COMBATSYS: Vega dodges Zach's Fierce Punch.
VEGA
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Zach 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Fuji
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Munin 0/-------/-======|
COMBATSYS: Vega dodges Munin's Deep Strike.
VEGA
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Zach 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Fuji
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Munin 0/-------/-======|
COMBATSYS: Vega dodges Fuji's Midnight at Noon.
VEGA
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Zach 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Fuji
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Munin 0/-------/-======|
"Yes, yes, I did something to someone." As Zach comes punching in, Vega proves to be quick for his sheer bulk. He leans back and to the side, the three-quarter punch and its accoutrement of mental energy doing little more than licking across his jacket. "I'm ALWAYS doing something to SOMEBODY. What IS it with you heroic types? Are you allergic to the obvious?"
Munin comes bouncing in like some sort of acrobat, but she too misses the mark! His right foot pivots and he swings around the left, leaving those blades to pierce only the ground and its smattering of garbage littering its breadth. And now, there's a third? Another step away completes the trifecta toward an image of invulnerability. For added effect, as he stands his ground, his cape gives a final flutter from all the motion, lifted up and falling back down to skirt just above the soiled ground.
"Die? ME? Ignorant pustule. If you're going to waste my time, the LEAST you can do is make it entertaining!" Once more his words project louder than they should and already, he's in motion. A large hand reaches out, grabbing for the blade-bearer herself. He recognizes her... She was there. She was there when things came unravelled, when the last straw fell. With a twisted smile spreading nearly ear to ear across his face, his murderous intent is obvious. Munin, for her part in the attack on China, will die.
The calm, analytical portion of Zach's mind (shut up, it's there) is unsurprised at Vega's agility. That part, however, is not calling the shots. Zach pulled the failed Smash back. Vega is no doubt familiar with the energies at Zach's command, he can more than likely feel the quick and controlled build up that comes from training a technique tens-of-thousands of times.
Zach growls. Vega only obliquely acknowledges the raping of Chun-Li's mind and soul. Zach hops back from the deposed dictator, throwing a downward arcing left hook as he exits his range.
A trio of razor-sharp sheets of Soul Power slash out of the ether, slicing towards Vega's torso. Zach decides to stop wasting his breath talking to Vega for the moment. Besides, the migraine is intensifying, dulling Zach's ability to banter at all.
COMBATSYS: Munin fails to counter Deadly Throw from Vega with Terminal Response.
VEGA
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Zach 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Fuji
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Munin 1/----===/=======|
Munin has only a moment to land and reallocate her target when she realizes he's attacking her! She tries to bring up her swords in a crossblock, but is sadly too late. The hand passes right through her far-too-slow defenses, and she's flung like a baby down the alley, landing hard on the concrete. She tries to pull herself to her feet, but the landing leaves her dazed momentarily...
Shit. Missed. Maybe she shouldn't be announcing her attacks to someone who is several times stronger than her. Why was she here? She should have just ignored him and went straight to the port and hope she could get amnesty while her criminal status gets revoked. Instead, she felt the need. She had to know why her home and others across the country had to go up in a pillar of fire and brimstone. She wanted revenge. Thing was, she didn't want revenge for the sake of herself-- but all of China. As much as she despised what had been chasing her for the last few weeks, she knew that they couldn't help it-- they were puppets to this man. Vega. If she was to do anything, the small Chinese Citizen knew that she had to at least put the effort forth into stopping this man. He was a menace to society. If it meant the whole world could at least pretend to be at peace for even a day, then one out of 8 billion isn't so bad.
Her thoughts are immediately routed as Munin nearly takes her out in her travels to a concrete wall. She needed to hurt him. Remind him she's here. These other two. Well. They have their just reasons for being here as well, surely as fighters who have also been damaged by him. She had to work as a team with them.
She dug her heels in, and took a leap up, to avoid Zach's blades of energy herself.
She too was conjuring energy. A Horizontal swung of her cane, and a firm, yet also purple arc of energy was released from her, it forming into an image of her cane. Perhaps the two could work into some kind of combo attack?
COMBATSYS: Vega blocks Zach's Pile Smash.
VEGA
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Zach 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Fuji
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Munin 1/----===/=======|
COMBATSYS: Vega blocks Fuji's Stevie Wonder Record.
VEGA
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Zach 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Fuji
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Munin 1/----===/=======|
Sometimes, even Vega should be surprised at his own strength. Munin feels like such a light thing that he'd tossed her well out of any sort of follow-up. His tongue clicks in irritation, but he doesn't have time to bother with it! His left arm raises up, fist clenched as he brandishes the sturdy steel bracers wrapped about his wrist. Zach's punch is so sharp that it cuts the very air?! Commoners would certainly think so. The bands shred at the pristine crimson of his uniform, tearing three matching strips out of the fabric and searing the flesh beneath. It's only a reddening of the flesh, but it's -damage-. It's a start, something to work off of. So, too, does Fuji get the satisfaction of landing -something-. His guard, however, is strong, and the impact is shaken with little more than a creaking of bone and joint.
With a dramatic downward sweep of his arm, Vega stands tall with his chest thrust out. "I ought to kill the two of you for BORING me." He draws in a breath, but as he does so, there's a calm that touches him, just for that instant. Zach's emotions are strong on his mind. The "deposed" Psycho Master grants the young man a knowing smirk. He's upset about Chun-Li, indeed. But why is he HERE? He doesn't have the stink of heroism on him, but maybe, in the future...
"I'll deal with you shortly," he promises, and then he's in motion. Rushing right past Zach himself, he busies himself with the newcomer, with Fuji. It's not a hand that reaches out for her throat, but an elbow, a strike seeking to pin her up against the small tank, to crush her windpipe against her own spine. It doesn't exactly matter who this girl is...but the potential rise he may coax out of Zach for brutalizing two girls before him is an experiment too delectable to pass up!
COMBATSYS: Fuji just-defends Vega's Aggressive Strike!
VEGA
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Zach 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Fuji
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Munin 1/----===/=======|
Zach's presence is as much a matter of orders as it is a matter of desire. He had heard many things about Vega. Not a single one of them good. Vega is a being of undescribable power from everything he could learn, though. His growing hatred of the being in front of him, however, has nothing at all to do with the job.
Zach would tell you that he is no hero. That he is just a man who found himself caught up in a world he wanted no part of. A world he'd gladly leave, if he even knew how. He's not even sure that he CAN after this, after all that has happened. Even many of his actions in this war were at least SOMEWHAT directed by someone else. His power, more of a birthright than the product of training. Training, a necessity if he ever wanted to have something approaching a 'normal' life, only honed and refined it.
Vega homes in on Fuji. Zach doesn't know EITHER of the women who happened to show up for this fight. In fact, thier identities were not all that important, aside from the apparent desire to see Vega taken down. However, he'd have to be made of stone not to feel /something/ at the way Vega is smacking them around.
Zach is no hero. He is not Kim Kaphwan, or May Lee. He does not make the loud proclamations about JUSTICE! and GOOD! that they bandy about like banners at a parade. Nor is he Howard Rust. He is not a stalwart bastion that stands, regardless of the cost to him, for those who cannot fight for themselves. Zach Glen, however, cannot stand to see people with power abuse those who are unable to handle it on their own. Fuji and Munin may have gotten in on this fight of their own free will, but all three of Vega's opponents are clearly outclassed. Gender has little to do with it; Zach can easily name several young woman who could knock him around easily. There is only one thing he really CAN do.
More of that violet-tinged gold gathers around Zach's right fist. The psion takes a single step forward as he thrusts the fist forward in a textbook right straight. The Soul Power, however, does not stay on Zach's fist, instead rocketing towards Vega's back. It /might/ have more kick than a tap on the shoulder, but Zach's already in close behind the shot to throw a right cross!
As Munin pulls herself up, she takes a brief glance at the fighting. Vega is likely more than the three of them can handle. If they fail, and no one gets word out, that could be very bad. At the worst, he kills them all and no one knows their here or that he was found or knows his last location!
Looking around for a phone, she sees none. Her Cellphone seems sketchy on reception. She dials a quick message: Vega here!. This is sent to Rust and Maylee, the two she knows for sure off the top of her head, then makes a break for the personel carrier, evading the fighting as best she can.
Once inside, she drops her cell so the signal can, hopefully, be followed should the message be recieved, and picks up the headset or mic to start talking into it "Hello? Hello?!? This is Munin Arshe. We've found Vega! Send help right away!". She doesn't wait to hear whatever response she gets "We'll hold him here as long as we can! Is anyone recieving?!?".
She could sense him. His energy was so strong it was almost overbearing. Knowing how far he threw Munin, Fuji actually had a reason to be concerned for the situation at hand. Every Action Vega made, however. It was like Fuji could identify him, just by the sheer aura he emanated. The dark haired girl had the satisfaction of hitting with her only form of a projectile hit him, but when she landed, however, she was immediately beside the APC that The apparently militant man had tried to run Vega down with. She knew that the military man was between her and Vega, but she was not expecting Vega to bypass him entirely on his warpath to her. His anger. His strength.
Yet, somehow, she felt a touch confident. Prepared, even. She could sense this fist coming for her. She didn't even try to dodge. At the very last second, the suit wearing woman's arm shot up, completely deflecting the blow aside her, but he had too much momentum. She transferred this, pushing the parried fist to the side long enough. Vega was a man. Every man had one weakness. She ducked down low, shooting forward with a powerful (for her) fist, against his momentum, aimed right towards Vega's oh so precious package.
If she couldn't kill this man, she better at least prevent him from spawning another one just like him.
COMBATSYS: Munin takes no action.
VEGA
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Zach 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Fuji
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Munin 1/-======/=======|
COMBATSYS: Vega dodges Zach's Blast Punch EX.
VEGA
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Zach 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Fuji
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Munin 1/-======/=======|
COMBATSYS: Vega auto-guards Fuji's Blue Monday!
VEGA
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Zach 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Fuji
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Munin 1/-======/=======|
Ever man does indeed have a weakness. This is, for the most part, an irrefutable fact. However, Fuji has made the mistake that so many others have made: Vega is not just a man. He is not just a mortal. His reflex has already proven to be inhuman to the extreme and this "cheap" shot is no different. Before she knows it, his own hand is before her fist with the meaty smack of flesh on flesh. His grips is solid and sure as he lifts her up, seeking to dangle her in front of him. Pale eyes look at her, his smile downright devilish. Her eyes may be hidden behind those dark sunglasses, and yet...he can tell that she's not looking AT him. Her emotions, her power is obvious to the world's most powerful psion, his power eager to feed off the fear and anger around him as much as it comes from within.
It's a trick that he showboats rather openly, tilting to the left as Zach's psionic fist goes brushing past the edge of his pauldron, beating into the metal of the abandoned tank.
"I can appreciate someone who's not afraid to fight dirty." Fuji's reward? A second assault against her throat, this time by virtue of his booted heel. It's a wonder that a man his size can split his legs like that, to try and lift her by his foot even as it glows with corrosive, terrible violet might!
COMBATSYS: Vega knocks away Fuji with Dead Rise.
-*- DEVASTATING HIT! -*-
VEGA
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Zach 0/-------/-------|=======\======-\1 Fuji
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Munin 1/-======/=======|
A reaction Fuji in her entirety would never forget. She spent a great deal of her life being crushed under the heel of others. She had plenty of airtime from the sheer force of the kick delievered swiftly to her throat to realize this. The heel collided with such a force that the only thing she felt was her head snapping back, a spittle of blood following her as the foot hit her with such a force that she was peeled out of Vega's grip.
This man. He was but the very personification of power. Something she never envisioned being even close to possible. When her temple burned all she could think about was killing the one responsible. And yet, a woman capable of defeating an entire squad of elitely trained men hung air like she was a javelin at the summer olympics. This was how it was. The fact she could be so precariously dangled, treated nothing more than the boot under his heel.
She found herself admiring him, in between sputtered breaths. The grey eyed woman was in for a hard landing with the asphalt below. She must have dropped her cane. She couldn't even feel it's energy around her.
If she ever lived through this, She was going to set out to change things. Vega is a monster. He must be pacified. If not by her, than the horde of souls behind her.
...If only she wouldn't get back up. Like she knew she was going to.
COMBATSYS: Fuji takes no action.
VEGA
[ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
1|--------------=|===============
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Zach 0/-------/-------|=======\======-\1 Fuji
[ \\\\\\\ <
Munin 1/-======/=======|
Zach doesn't waste much time regretting the errant projectile. Vega just sent Fuji near-orbital. The psyker skids to a stop well short of his punching range, adjusting slightly to catch woman as she starts to fall. Zach focuses, channelling his energies internally for once. He'll need the added strength and balance to keep his own feet, given that he only has fourty or so pounds on her.
Still, Fuji does not crash head first into the pavement, doesn't get her brains dashed on the pavement. Zach sets her down gently. "Hey," Zach says firmly. "Wake up," he instructs. While he is doing so a faint shimmer of golden energy passes from Zach's arms to the younger woman's battered body, washing away some of the abuse that Vega's kick inflicted upon it. "This is going to shit," he says to her frankly. "You need to get the hell out of here."
Meanwhile, on the radio, the gruff voice on the radio is demanding to know who Munin is. For that matter, he's also demanding to know WHERE Munin is. It's not like tactical radio can give real-world locations. That's why soldiers learn how to read /maps/.
COMBATSYS: Zach successfully hits Fuji with Lay On Hands.
VEGA
[ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
1|--------------=|===============
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Zach 0/-------/------=|=======\======-\1 Fuji
[ \\\\\\\ <
Munin 1/-======/=======|
Watching out the window of the vehicle, Munin winces inwardly as she sees Fiju hit. She needs to get out there and help! She rattles off the name of the city their in currently without really thinking about it, since afterwards she's already dropped whatever mic setup is inside and moved out.
However, she no sooner is on her feet when the world gets strange. She suddenly coughs, and blinks as she sees that she's coughed a lot of red into her hand. Looks like something was damaged more than she thought. She eyes Vega, not about to let him off the hook without a parting shot. Her eyes begin to glow with purple chi, and the shadows around her deepen.....
Much like before back in India, as Vega would likely remember, various figments and images appear, illusions of herself attacking from various angles with various moves, all with different timings. One drops from the roof of the vehicle. One comes at him head on with both weapons. One turns black and fires a series of chi lances at him. Yet another fires a wave of black chi at him again. Telling what is a real attack and what is an illusion proves almost impossible!
COMBATSYS: Munin can no longer fight.
VEGA
[ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
1|--------------=|===============
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Zach 0/-------/------=|=======\======-\1 Fuji
Her attack thrown, Munin begins to sway, and pulls herself under the vehicle where she abruptly passes out from trauma and bleeding, her move to the hiding place masked by her illusionsary assault, and her hope being that he may not think to look there for her.
COMBATSYS: Munin successfully hits Vega with Iron Maiden.
- Power hit! -
VEGA
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
1|------------===|===============
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Zach 0/-------/------=|=======\======-\1 Fuji
Vega turns upon the last of his prey as he sends Fuji flying with an extravagant swath of brilliant, bright purple power. The wave fades into nothingness a moment later, leaving the man standing tall and solitary, a veritable mountain among men! Poor Fuji, she only know must realize the folly of going up against such an insurmountable foe. Fortune favors the bold but once, and she had better realize just how lucky she was when she turned aside his first assault...
So, too, does luck play its hand. Zach is already moving toward the downed girl, holding Vega's attention. He approaches the two in small, ominous steps, crushing bits of trash beneath his heel. In such a small space, his presence is already a thing to behold, the air flooded with psychic eminations. The effect is magnified as he revels in the bliss of agony, drinking in the others' pain. Even now, his face is overshadowed by a disturbing lack of light save for the piercing, purple gaze of two pupil-less orbs.
And then he pauses. From Zach comes a familiar power. At first, he's surprised. Then, intrigued. Another second later, and he is /insulted/.
"A sickening perversion of power," he proclaims, lifting his right hand as it's balled into a fist. Dreadful purple flames encase his hand in an instant, licking at the air around it. In his hand is destructive might, through and through. The very antithesis of the Soul Power, indeed. "It was wasted on--!"
And what was that, earlier, about Fortune? Munin had already been dismissed as dead or fleed, as any sensible person might do. But no, she comes in fast while Vega's attention is solidly held. Black tendrils spear into his back and arms as he does his damnest to block them, but they're sharp. They're lethal. Each spike punctures flesh, but not deeply enough to do more than soak his uniform in a deeper red. He is risilient, if nothing else.
"ENOUGH!" He spins around, sweeping his arm as another trail of psycho power shatters the spikes of chi about him. He snarls like a beaten beast, searching for Munin by sight instead of feeling her out. His mind is clouded with the rage of an easily-tempted psycho, his entire body alight with the flames that encased his fist previously. He rears back, pulling his fist back against his side. The cheap brick and wood about him cracks as he bleeds raw power. A moment later and he's in motion, launched forward with a telekinetic push. Spinning wildly, end over end, he's covered with a thick coating of Psycho Power. Make no mistake; it will take a lot more than some sparkly fondling to knit Fuji back together from THIS.
COMBATSYS: Vega successfully hits Fuji with Psycho Crusher.
- Power hit! -
~ Cruel hit! ~
! VENGEANCE !
VEGA
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
0|---------------|-------========
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Zach 0/-------/------=|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Fuji
Regardless of the circumstances, Fuji knew what the importance of a team was. She used to have a team. All 29 of them. Unlike them, she was still alive, and as she was caught with the brilliant light that slowly picked her up. She awoke slowly, though she felt a disturbance. She could feel something coming. Something big. A precognition? The grey eyed woman was still in the arms of the soldier. She was ever so thankful. For the first time since she had been in China, she felt like she could rely on the presence of a stranger. What an odd feeling. She felt... Contempt? Respect for Zach?
It was the exact same reason her immediate reaction was to immediately roll to her feet. She knew it would hit them both. He must of known the values of a team. She too respected that. It was the exact reason she had grabbed him by his shirt and forcefully shoved in into a recessed doorway. The last thing he may have seen of her was her finishing the action of pushing him before the sheer amount of energy would take her out completely, the sheer, concussive force of the attack shoots Fuji cleanly through a block wall and through the front entrace, where she tumbles several times, tattered remains of her clothes barely cling to her body as she lays face down on the street. She could barely breathe.
. ...And then it picked a good time to start raining, albeit softly.
COMBATSYS: Fuji takes no action.
VEGA
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
0|---------------|-------========
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Zach 0/-------/------=|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Fuji
COMBATSYS: Fuji keeps on fighting!
VEGA
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
0|---------------|-------========
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Zach 0/-------/------=|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Fuji
COMBATSYS: Fuji has left the fight here.
VEGA
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
0|---------------|-------========
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Zach 0/-------/------=|
Zach has, perhaps, a slight advantage over Fuji. He's seen this attack up close and personal one other time. He was strong enough then to resist the sheer force of the attack, and Zach is stronger now than he was then. Soul Power is already spinning up in the psion's hands to form into a barrier that would allow him to weather the assault.
He wasn't prepared for Fuji to shove him out of the way.
Zach, not really a soldier, pulls himself to his feet in time to see the destructive results of Vega's (and Fuji's) actions. Shit, he thinks. That was about the /opposite/ of what he wanted to happen. Munin's also down and out as well. Just him and the monster.
There is a loud part of Zach that would not have it any other way. The part of Zach that is a /fighter/.
The psion reaches behind his back, and pulls out a small canister with a pin in it. He pulls the pin free, and throws the canister not at Vega, but at the LAV he abandoned. The canister clinks against the armor of the vehicle before spewing yellow smoke, an agreed upon signal for NATO medivac choppers.
"All right then. You and me," Zach says as he snaps into an orthodox boxing stance. Golden energy, Soul Power, wraps around the young man protectively. Almost as if preparing the young man for the life-and-death struggle he is about to throw himself into.
"Let's go."
COMBATSYS: Zach gathers his will.
VEGA
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
0|---------------|-------========
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Zach 0/-------/--=====|
By the time Vega comes to a stop, he's a good fifteen feet in the other direction. Away from Munin, which is likely the most important thing to HER right now. He stops spinning and skids on the crusty alley floor, boots scraping until he comes to a complete stop. He stays hunched over for a moment, then slowly rises. "As if your fate will be any different." He's still coated in roiling purple flames and bits of paper and crud lift up into the air about him. They, unfortunately, find themselves blacked and corroded in short order. He turns on his heel and steps toward the boxer. With each step, his presence grows more and more pronounced. He LOOKS bigger than he is, and the alleyway's air is less air and just...his essence. Any normal man would find themselves choking and gasping for breath, an effect that gets stronger as he gets close.
"Pathetic. Look at what you've done." He gestures toward the young man in a sweeping, dismissive gesture. "The power to gain anything you wanted, and so.../this/." The word is spoken with utter disgust. His nose and brows wrinkle. His lips pull into a terrible, disfigured frown. "Give it up. A fool that puts his trust in an inferior power isn't even worth killing."
COMBATSYS: Vega focuses on his next action.
VEGA
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
0|---------------|-------========
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Zach 0/-------/--=====|
Zach's eyes narrow as Vega approaches. It's not that Zach is not afraid. Fear is definitely /there/, a steady undercurrent in Zach's emotional state. So was the anger. However keeping it all in check, keeping it from controlling his actions or power output, was a will of steel. Perhaps not as obdurate as Vega's; Zach lacks the sheer amount of experience the Shadaloo Leader has in this particular subject matter. Vega can all but /read/ the knowledge in Zach's mind that the shorter man is outclassed. But that doesn't seem to deter the jump-suited young man standing his ground before Vega.
If nothing else, there is a bit of excitement running through that steel control. A chance, a /real/ chance, to test his abilities against a clearly superior opponent. Those opportunities are, for some reason, becoming increasingly rare for the one-time janitor. Zach plans to get everything he /can/ out of it. "If it is inferior, then I'll improve it," he replies simply, "Starting right here."
The boxer starts a short weave, bobbing left and right in unpredictable movement as he dashes in. Motes of golden light betray the propulsive burst of Soul Power as Zach skids to a halt just inside his striking range. The uppercut that follows is clad in that same light. The punch itself is special only in the soundness of the technique. The psychic energies behind it will do the heavy lifting.
COMBATSYS: Vega dodges Zach's Uppercut Punch.
VEGA
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
0|---------------|-------========
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Zach 0/-------/-----==|
If nothing else, there's at least the fact that Zach knows that he's up against a greater power. As the older psion probes and feels out for Zach's emotions, there is that tension that comes with facing a stronger opponent. It's a sensation that Vega has felt many, many times in other people. It's a wholly alien concept to him, of course...but he knows its effects well. For all his haste earlier, this confrontation is doing wonders to sate his bloodthirst. Already, two women lay broken and bleeding, and now he can face the man that made the mistake of trying to save one. Ah, the anticipation is delicious...
While Zach weaves in, the Shadaloo leader holds his ground. His arms fold over his chest and his feet plant at shoulder-width. He intentionally lets his posture scream "free shot", like he doesn't even think the boxer's power is worth considering.
And yet, all hope is lost at the first swing.
For such a bulky and imposing figure, Vega is light. He sways and bends, moving just enough to avoid each furious swing of the fist. Soul Power and Psycho Power clash with each hit in a brilliant display of mixing energy, a constant string of stalemates that leave neither worse for wear. It's only for that final, full-body uppercut that Vega finally moves. He doesn't step aside so much as he drifts, his body lifted only JUST enough to avoid the hit. Once more, a feral grin is upon his awful features. His arms are unfolded. In fact, one is pulled back, hand balled up in a fist that's immediately thrust toward Zach's face from the side in an obvious mockery of his style. If there were ever a more clear way to show someone that you're toying with them...
COMBATSYS: Vega successfully hits Zach with Fierce Punch.
VEGA
[ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
0|---------------|------=========
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Zach 1/----===/=======|
Zach was not surprised Vega dodged that. The man has more than proven that he is quick despite his size. However, the boxer was in no way prepared for that crushing fist that breaks his jaw in one blow. The psion wobbles away, his eyes wide. Zach's will falters, then /crumbles/ under the pure malice that backs Vega's punches. He staggers back, trying to regain some semblance of control.
Violet mixes with the gold of Zach's aura as he fumbles for some kind of standing point. Some thought, some emotion, that would allow him to continue to stand firm. However, he is all alone, with not even his thoughts to help support him. Then it occurs to him.
He just has to hold Vega here. People are on their way here to help. He just has to hold the monster here. Even if it kills him. The slightest bit of steel re-enters Zach's psyche as he checks his line of fire. No unintended targets. It'll do, he thinks as he twists his torso away from Vega. Perhaps another punch?
No. The hands are open, and there is a respectable consolidation of Soul Power collected there. This looks more like something any of a bunch of Ansatsuken fighters might do. Vega can no doubt sense the whirling, spiraling mass of energy collected in that bowling ball-sized manifestation. Zach does not allow Vega much more time to consider the working, however, as he thrusts the ball forward.
The result is not a sphere, or even a sphere-shaped, blast of energy, but a torrent. Calling it a beam would be perhaps more accurate. There are few 'techniques' Zach kept with him when he took up boxing. One of those, in many ways, was refined by the choice of style. The second was the Pile Smash, a familiar yet acquired technique. This is not something Zach was taught, it was something he learned on his own.
COMBATSYS: Vega fails to reflect Full Tilt+ from Zach with Psycho Vanish.
VEGA
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
0|---------------|------=========
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Zach 0/-------/-------|
The man's expression is utterly smug. In Vega's mind, he can do no wrong, even despite the drawbacks of the war. He's lost himself to the thrill of personal combat, even if it IS just him thoroughly decimating weaker foes. This mindset invariably ends up in hubris, however. He never learns. Or rather, is it just that his pride tells him that, even with tiny failures, he is going to end up the victor overall?
His response to the torrent of soul power is to simply extend his hand. Rich purple flames encase it, ready to accept the inferior force and twist it, warp it, to take it into himself and corrupt it into a hateful gout of dreadful, corrosive power.
Things do not go as planned.
Zach's might is far more potent than he had expected. His brow furrows at the feeling of such "pure" power burns him at the touch. His clothing shreds and scorches in tatters from the wrist. The destruction travels up his arm and soon, his whole upper body is awash! He lifts his arms to try and let them bear the brunt of the assault, but he finds himself quickly pushed back. A tip sends him struggling for balance before he's blown back outright, tumbling end over end until he's layed out face-first on the ground.
Even as he lays still, his rate seethes. The growing mass of Psycho Power returning to coat his body shows that he's not only still alive...but he is ANGRY. So much so that even the most dense of psions should have no problem glimpsing the depths of his hatred, an incredible pit of negativity that would dwarf even the deepest chasms. The sense of scale must be staggering.
Zach brings his hands down as he gasps for air. After all the evasive mastery Vega had shown, Zach had half expected it to miss him completely. Zach considers grabbing the ladies and hauling ass, then discards the thought just as quickly.
Teleportation means not having to be faster than the guy you're chasing.
Zach decides to press his offense while the opening is there, despite all of the warning bells going off in his head. Despite the foul feeling creeping into his soul from just being /near/ Shadaloo's Fearless Leader.
Zach doesn't have the juice left in him for a large, flashy move like that, so retreats to the basics. Zach snaps off a quick Soul Powered left jab at Vega's face, the right hand chambered for the next punch...
COMBATSYS: Vega endures Zach's Jab Punch.
VEGA
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0|---------------|-----==========
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Zach 0/-------/-------|
None would fault Zach's decision. It's rare enough to overpower a man like Vega...even more so to see him sent sprawling and toppled. It only makes sense to press the attack! If nobody tries, then evil like his would continue to run rampant, unchecked. Indeed, Zach MUST do this. For the sake of the world? Oh, no. This will be a battle for his own survival.
Without the use of a single muscle, Vega's body lifts. His limbs are loose beneath him even as he's turned upright. His eyes are even more dull than usual and his expression is somber. In fact, were it not for the sheer depth of his presence and the fact that he's telekinetically lifted himself, he might truly look unconscious! As he sets himself down on his feet, he stands under his own power. There's not a single indication that he's going to move even as his opponent's fist smacks against his sturdy features. His head jerks a bit to the side, little more than a grunt escaping him. As though a purely reactionary measure, his own left fist snaps out to return the blow! There are no words for him, how FURIOUS he is. Oh, no. He lets the force of his fist convey his emotions, as wild and deadly as they are to behold.
COMBATSYS: Vega knocks away Zach with Jab Punch.
-*- DEVASTATING HIT! -*-
VEGA
[ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
0|---------------|---============
[ \\\\\\ <
Zach 1/------=/=======|
Zach has fought a lot of people before. However, they all moved like /people/. What Vega does is decidely NOT normal people movement. Zach is unprepared for it. The punch strikes him squarely between the eyes. A sense of revulsion sweeps over him, a result of Vega's dark power as he slams up against the side of the LAV. His own power, his own strength, seems to run away from it.
The psion wobbles once more, before almost tripping over Munin. He stares down at the angry, now unconscious, young woman. No. There will be no running away. Regardless of the difficulties presented by the situation. He fumbles one last time for his power.
Zach has already done the Pile Smash, and the move he now calls the Full Tilt. He has one more reliable weapon to reach for. Zach twists his arm at the wrist, spinning up more Soul Power, before charging in for what will no doubt be Zach's final gambit. He skids to a stop firing off a thunderous corkscrew right straight aimed directly at Vega's heart. The organ, not the center of emotion; Vega does not /have/ the latter.
Added to the force of the corkscrew is a spiralling, almost drill-like, mass of Soul Power aimed at punching a hole clear through the dictator's chest!
COMBATSYS: Vega blocks Zach's Heartbreak Shot.
VEGA
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
0|---------------|--=============
[ \\\\\\ <
Zach 0/-------/-------|
Now alone in his personal space, Vega depends less on his telekinetic prowess and more on the flesh. His heels touch against the ground and there's a faint wobble, but he remains upright. His shoudlers are slouched, but he lifts himself to a proper upright posture. Those shoulders roll back, pauldrons glinting in the dim light. His cloak is all but completely shredded and his upper body is awash with red splotches. The injuries from Munin's desperate attack are left in the form of a dozen puncture wounds: still bleeding, but they're shallow enough to only leak thin rivulets of fresh blood. His cap had been lost in the previous exchange, exposing the slicked-back head of short, raven black hair that has, somehow, survived intact.
One foot forward. Then the other foot. He doesn't approach Zach so much as he stalks him. The furious aura about him seems to subside, but it actually soaks into his flesh. Much like how Zach himself healed Fuji's wounds, so too does Vega's flesh seem to reconstitute itself. The holes close little by little, each one expelling steam as the blood is literally burnt into scabs. He yields not an inch when the other psion comes dashing in, going so far as to take the punch in the chest! But the feeling of solid impact isn't there--or at least, it's more shallow than it ought to. Vega's hand, at some point, caught Zach's wrist, clenching with a terrible force. The bones creak against one another, and then, he attempts to fling the man aside in a most unceremonious fashion. A helping push of Psycho Power helps to launch him that much further, right into the towering, cheap buildings behind.
COMBATSYS: Vega successfully hits Zach with Quick Throw.
~ Cruel hit! ~
VEGA
[ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
0|---------------|===============
[ <
Zach 0/-------/---====|
Zach is sent sailing, not even having time to scream in pain as he slams into the side of the LAV once more. Zach slumps to the ground, hands clutching at his skull, trying to force out the bilious influence of Vega's Psycho Power.
He does not get up, and after a moment, simply passes out from the agony. The headache will not be getting better any time soon, and if anything will likely bring about /other/ complications. A pillar of yellow smoke ascends to the heavens, and even now, Vega can no doubt hear the sounds of choppers bearing in.
The Overlord may wish to run.
COMBATSYS: Zach takes no action.
VEGA
[ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
0|---------------|===============
COMBATSYS: Zach can no longer fight.
VEGA
[ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
0|---------------|===============
Run? Vega does not RUN. He never RUNS.
He will, however, enact a strategic retreat.
Brooding to the point of continued silence, Vega comforts himself with his anger and the pain inflicted on his self-thought regal form. The LAV is given a furious kick of frustration as he passes it, denting the armoring. Munin, for the moment, is safe; her predator may have even forgotten that she exists, and if she's still conscious she can hear his footsteps leading him away. The sound of choppers only helps to deepen the fury fueling him. He's wasted far, far too much time as it is, lost in the moment of conquest.
Oh, but it's not HIS fault. If the three had only known their place and fled, he'd have never had to waste his might on them! Even worse, as he heads further down the alleys and into a delapidated, rusty old playground, he can already feel the emotions of other, like-minded fools with delusions of competence...
COMBATSYS: Vega drops his guard to recover.
VEGA
[ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
0|---------------|===============
COMBATSYS: Vega takes no action.
VEGA
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
0|---------------|===============
Surviving a nuke at point blank range. No one should be able to survive such a thing. Telling such a tale would just get odd looks and laughter more than likely, yet there are some men that have strengthened themself to such a point they can somehow live through the blast. Some men are just old and stubborn. It also might help when the stubborn, old man in question is Sagat. Even with all his strength though it was a close call.
He collapsed after about an hour of walking and he remained out of it for the better part of the day. Even then when he woke up he was weak and barely able to move. Somehow he got the strength to keep going and he made it to a village where he managed to get food and drink. During this time of recovery he was able to even meet up with Quon. He knows Vega is reeling and now might be the time to try and really finish him off. Even now the Muay Thai fighter isn't at full strength. He can feel his body often rebel against him and tell him to try and relax more. He can relax once this whole mess is taken care. Or he can relax when he is dead. That is a strong possibility.
Vega should easily know what he is walking into. He has been around Sagat long enough to know when he is near. It might even be a bit laughable that he is even there to try and stop the dictator. "He is coming....." he tells the young Chinese fighter with him. Then again Quon probably doesn't need to be told. Vega's presence even from a distance is rather overwhelming right now. He isn't sure what has happened, but someone must have already tried to stop him because it seems like Vega is even more angry than normal. "This might be our last chance. Let us not waste it."
COMBATSYS: Sagat has joined the fight here.
VEGA
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
0|---------------|===============
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Sagat 0/-------/-------|
In the case of Quon, he knows he can't handle this type of fight one on one. It's questionable as to whether he could handle it with Sagat by his side. Quon is under no delusions of his level of competence. He's just at point where he's tired. Tired of being pushed around by those with power just because they feel that power gives them justification. Tired of seeing those who had nothing to do with this war being punished just because they were in Vega's path. Quon knows that he may very well die here but because he had lost damn near everything, he's pretty much at the point where he just doesn't care anymore. Because of that, he goes into this fight with no fear which makes him dangerous if he can harness that.
After joining up with Sagat he spent every moment not spent traveling, training. It was a slow process and he's not even sure that it did much in the short time that he's had to do so. It's all he has so time to make the best of it. He's not what one would call a psionic sensitive especially since he was trained to utilize chi but he can feel that rage coming closer and closer so overwhelming is Vega's power but yet he meets his fate with serenity waiting for his moment in the story to play out. Well there's a touch of anger towards the organization and Vega but no one's perfect.
When Sagat warns Quon of Vega's coming, he smirks slightly as he quips only partially to himself in an attempt to keep himself relaxed. "Lights, Camera, Action."
After deciding to do most of his resting via a transport vehicle inbound to China, the stout Howard's holding himself together best he can the moment he's set foot in China. A terrible sense of foreboding fills him from feeling Vega could be around the corner. This, on top of the nuclear explosion and the thought some friends might be lost...
Then at some point, somehow, his cellphone rings. (That it survived thus far is one thing, that it still has a charge /now/ is really pushing suspension of disbelief, but here we are.) The call is from Munin saying that Vega is here! She's alive, which is good. Ol' Rusty is drawn immediately upon this news. It's a good two alleys' walks before he comes across the rusted playground where - like it or not - destiny awaits, and one of his knees makes it a point that it really doesn't want to go.
'Lights, Camera, Action.' As Rust cautiously peeks out from one alley, he can see them now - Quon, Sagat. They're alive! The relief overtakes the American man (as does the knee's louder, popping announcement of his presence) as he ambles out into view.
"Quon, Sagat," he speaks out as he treks ever closer through derelict and dangerous playground equipment. "Vega's here... somewhere," at which point he is speaking what might be the obvious given that feeling of foreboding goes well above and beyond mere fear and anxiety of the situation at hand. "I, I just got the call from... ah, from Munin."
He clears his throat, and swallows once. He has so much to say to them, so many things to ask, but... he's likely not about to have the chance as he keeps his weapon held in both hands, stance hunched over from physical fatigue over all the abuse he soaked up through the war.
"Last chance? Ignorant FOOL."
Vega's voice booms as he steps out of the alleyway and into the playground. The place is a mess, left to rot as misappropriated funding goes to more personal interests. Springs may break at any moment and a number of the bars are rusted to the point that dangerously jagged holes are eaten into them. Pain has long since worn away, revealing the cheap plastic beneath. Indeed, someone HAS already tried to stop him. Three someones, in fact...and they failed. It would appear that the dictator has not left unscathed, however: his body from the waist up is bare and parts of his pants are tattered. By now, only little evidence of the beating he'd taken are still visible. Most of the holes that Munin had bored into him have closed up. The seared, raw flesh that Zach had inundated with god-awful Soul Power has given way to a mere smattering of rashes. Whatever Senoh had made this body out of, it's nothing if not resilient.
He steps--and stops--with his foot on the edge of the sandbox near to the alleyway's exit. His shinguards are covered in grime and crust from the trip. His bracers are smeared with all that AND blood, some of which is his own. And his pauldrons: they stay on his shoulders SOMEHOW. The only hint as to how comes as he lifts a hand to pull one off, obviously having to put some effort into it. One comes off and is dropped, the thing immediately turning on the ground and sliding fast toward the nearest metal pole until it collides with a clunk. So, too, does the other fall and find something to latch onto. With the bit of disrobing done, his shoulders lift and roll, working out the newly-liberated joints.
"You of ALL people should know that it takes more than this to set my plans back." He looks so smug, so sure of himself, even as his armies are defeated and his plans--to the casual observer--are in ruins. "But no, you never did have a head for this sort of thing. You were an excellent lieutenant, but a poor mastermind." His pale eyes turn toward the other two present. Rust, he only scarcely recalls; the man was a mere pebble in his path. Quon...ah, Quon. He looks at him longer than the other three. THIS one, he knows. Not firsthand, of course. Days, weeks, months of surveillance has made him quite familiar with him and his ex-Doll Cammy. Events go through his memory one after another, each time bringing the common link into the girl's failures: Quon. He's always been there, whether he likes it or not. If he only had the spine to turn her away, she might still be under his control.
She might not have lost him the war.
His lips pull into an awful frown and, as they do, the aura of dread about him thickens. His teeth grind, visible as they do so. His muscles tense. From his pocket, he pulls out a cylindrical syringe. Sagat has seen it before. Bringing it to his neck, the hiss of compressed gasses delivers the thick, syrupy payload into his bloodstream.
And then he's gone.
Fading from existance, returning to it, he closes the space between he and Quon in the blink of an eye. When his form solidifies before the boy, his lead foot is already planted. He's already in motion. His right fist comes swinging out in a massive, full-bodied blow toward Quon's face.
COMBATSYS: Quon has wandered into the fight here.
VEGA
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
0|---------------|===============
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Sagat 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Quon
COMBATSYS: Rust has joined the fight here.
VEGA
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0|---------------|-==============
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Quon 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Rust
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Sagat 0/-------/-------|
Reuniting with Rust turns out to be short lived. He can only spare a moment to look back towards the other fighter as he comes forward. Seeing him appear makes Sagat think that maybe just maybe they have a good chance. Even with Sagat not at his best perhaps with the help of both Rust and Quon they can put down Vega and crush whatever is left of his plans this evening. This attention quickly shifts back to where the approaching evil force can be felt. Then there is the voice. One that can often send lesser men fleeing.
"It might take more, but sometimes you have to make due with what you have." is his response to Vega. He looks ready to move forward, but pauses when he notices what Vega has produced. He narrows that single eye. "Rust, Quon......be very careful." As if he really needs to tell them that. Then again both of them were not around to know what is about to happen. The increased power being brought out by whatever Vega is injecting himself with. It makes him so quick even a experienced fighter like Sagat can't keep track of his movements.
It seems Quon has drawn the dictator's attention the most. Sagat was a bit worried about this, but Quon is a grown man and a fighter. He knew the risks and he is ready to put his life on the line just like Sagat and Rust are. Of course with Vega focused a bit more on Quon this may just allow Sagat a chance he needed to strike Vega and find an opening. He winces in obvious pain as he twists about and brings a large leg up and swings it about to try and slam into the side of Vega.
COMBATSYS: Vega jabs himself with a syringe. Veins and muscle bulge around the injection point.
VEGA
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
0|---------------|-==============
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Quon 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Rust
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Sagat 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Vega knocks away Quon with Fierce Punch.
VEGA
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
1|--------------=|===============
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Quon 1/---====/=======|-------\-------\0 Rust
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Sagat 0/-------/-------|
Quon in the time that suddenly disappears and then reappears, Quon doesn't even have time to take his stance before he suddenly eats a nasty punch to the face. The psionic energy and the fist's power slams him thoroughly as he ends up flying not through just one building, but two buildings and slamming into the walls of a third building leaving a Quon shaped dent into it.
He slowly pulls himself out of the wall and clutches his jaw which if it isn't broken sure as hell feels broken as he makes his way back to the fight. He shakes out the cobwebs and then at last he finally takes his stance.
"You know, if I was still chasing my dreams of being an actor, I'd be pissed off at you for that. But I suppose I no longer have to worry about that. And I have you to thank."
He calmly draws in the ambient chi within the area, forming it into a rippling bubble that seems to distort the light slightly before he releases it trying to drive it into the now exposed torso of Vega.
Vega's booming voice earns a sharp turn of Rust's head (and another kink in his neck - ouch) and, out of sheer shock and surprise, taking a step back as Sagat delivers what might be an understatement - he still remembers, solidly, that day in India.
That single passive glance in his direction is enough to freeze his blood. He grits his teeth as he wills himself to move forward - but he doesn't need to, given how fast Vega closes the gap to smash Quon out of sight.
"Quon!!" Rust calls, the sheer volume he manages to get out (for once) lending way to potential despair - perhaps made even stronger when Quon reaffirms he's more or less given up his dreams. To be that age and give up on everything...
The fear is palpable. Vega's sudden reappearance has him rattled - but yet, Chun-Li's advice and words to the man are not lost. Vega preys on these feelings, however well-earned they are... he has to rise above, somehow. He has to reach out to Quon and Sagat to tell them the same, somehow, even this close to a fearsome man who made sport of him. An example to his men, that for being the one that saved Nepal, he was nothing to him.
That ends today.
"Vega," he dares address him by name as he dares to move closer to him. Ol' Rusty, still in both hands, is off to the side. He just needs one, good strike to get started. One good, strong, decisive strike to keep the momentum going, to try and shake it all off.
With that, he steps forward with his right leg thrust upwards - far higher than he usually swings it - going for Vega's upper body in a single, raised kick that bears a strong resemblance to one of a certain someone's famous kicks.
One he will be quick to remind as his hands squeeze Ol' Rusty to relieve the tension of fear and hatred weighing upon him as he delivers this kick with a biting bit of commentary.
"Chun-Li sends her regards," he says with a certain clarity uncharacteristic of his usual speech patterns.
COMBATSYS: Vega blocks Sagat's Weakened Medium Kick.
VEGA
[ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
1|-------------==|===============
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Quon 1/----===/=======|-------\-------\0 Rust
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Sagat 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Rust successfully hits Vega with Light Kick.
VEGA
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
1|------------===|===============
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Quon 1/----===/=======|-------\-------\0 Rust
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Sagat 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Vega reflects Roaring Guardian from Quon with Psycho Vanish.
*KNOCKED AWAY*
VEGA
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
1|---------======|===============
[ < > //////////////////////////////]
Quon 2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|-------\-------\0 Rust
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Sagat 0/-------/-------|
It's not enough. It's just NOT ENOUGH. His vision is little but a red haze as he sends Quon flying through the walls, suffering impacts that have killed lesser man. Sagat and Rust may be here, but he doesn't hear their words. Already, he's stepping toward the kid, eager to inflict more pain, more injury. He's still in one piece. He won't be for long.
Aid comes in the form of two strikes from the side! Rust's foot smacks him solidly in the ribs, not unlike smashing one's heel into a brick wall. He wobbles a little, but his attention has shifted. As Sagat's leg comes in, his right arm rises, letting the thick, bloated muscles along his arm cushion the impact, his palm upon to catch his ankle. He hasn't stopped scowling since he set eyes on Quon, but now that he's looking toward the other two, well...just LOOKING at them exerts his willpower on them, a commanding presence that screams "kneel, kneel before me!" Already, his left hand is lifted up, the fist glowing fiercely with a massive swelling of vicious, painful psycho power. Its deep purple shade is thick with promises of torture and the ways its surfaces bubbles and turns in on itself is sickening.
And then Quon, bless him, steps forward. Vega allows himself to sneer as he gets up, steps up, and promises himself a brighter tomorrow. All he has to do is take down the monster before him...
But reality is not so kind. Once more reminded of his hatred toward Quon and his doings, that lifted hand comes down in another vicious swipe. His fist collides with the rippling chi, bursting it in an instant as though it were the very manifestation of his future, his dreams. A deadly swath of power tears it asunder, fierce corrosion that bleeds from Vega in excess. So deep, so vast is his might that the single swing sends Psycho Power washing over the young man from head to toe. The energy eats at flesh as much as it ravages the mind, lighting up pain receptors and feeding to consciousness the visions and horrors of the war that brought everything to this point.
Such power behind those strikes. Sagat should have been faster. Fast enough to try and intercept that punch and help out Quon. The young fighter is going to get overwhelmed and that is quite the understatement. He is also a bit curious of the declaration made by Rust about Chun-Li. He is suprised not to see the woman here as well. This is her country afterall and she has wanted to stop Vega perhaps more than anyone. Of course he has also not heard of the news of her capture and her current state of health. It is bad news that he will have to deal with once this is over. Of course if they can't stop Vega right now there might not be time for him to even find out what happened.
He feels his foot impact, but realizes it has little of the desired effect. At least it seems Rust managed to get him good with his own strike. Once again he finds himself too slow to help Quon once more. His eye goes a bit wide as he tears the young man apart with ease. He knows the kind of pain that must be felt right now. He experienced it not long ago himself. It can make even the strongest man be brought to his knees. "......Quon."
Maybe it was a bad idea. He had hoped he had more time to actually give the young man more training. The war made it very tough for that. Now the young man might just have lost his life or at least be brought to the brink in almost a blink of an eye. It is enough to make Sagat's blood boil. As much as he tries to keep himself calm he can't seem to hold his anger back. Maybe once......just this once it is time to let the Sagat of old come back. The rage rises and soon all the pain the large fighter is feeling has faded. The adrenaline is kicking into high gear.
Both of his large hands reach for Vega. He looks to outright grab him by the face and a shoulder before attempting to just upright lift him up. "No more. You have fucked with us too long. I will die seeing you defeated today!" he roars and looks to just toss Vega with all of his might right into and perhaps through a wall.
Quon's bubble of chi is torn asunder by Vega and then the horrific energy drives into his emotional core. Though the process is quick it's agonizing both on a psychological level and physiological level. He feels as though his skin is being flayed all at once before salt is poured on the open wounds. He re-lives Marz destroying his leg. He re lives watching soldiers killing vilagers, he re-lives watching the Shadaloo soldiers shooting some everyday Chinese citizen and then soon afterwards soldiers dogpiling him just so he'd hold still long enough to get shot and left a bloody mess.
He lets out a blood curdling scream that echoes off the walls and the trees. A pained howl that carries for meter after meter. And then he's silent as his body collapses. There's a few moments before he finally speaks. "And now you've taken everything from me. I have to thank you for showing me mercy in making it quick."
He then bitterly laughs until he coughs out blood and then consciousness leaves him.
COMBATSYS: Quon takes no action.
VEGA
[ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
1|-------========|===============
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Sagat 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Rust
COMBATSYS: Quon can no longer fight.
VEGA
[ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
1|-------========|===============
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Sagat 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Rust
Throwing a kick that high does more than leave an uncomfortable feeling running through his entire leg in kicking a man so solid like Vega - he feels the beginnings of a cramp. He didn't have much a chance to do the proper Kyokugen stretches before setting foot here - and it's too late to go through those motions now.
The bit of a stumble that follows Rust's retracting leg (not to mention nearly tripping over an abandoned ball) gives ample clearance space for how Vega swings his hand to turn Quon's own power against him. The overwhelming, dominating feeling of fear, that - alongside this display - those here should give up and let this man through.
To say nothing of Quon's screaming that could wake the dead. The anguish of a man so thoroughly focused upon, to have his dreams and hopes thoroughly dissected and destroyed to the point he seems to embrace it.
Where Sagat is enraged, Rust is stung deep in his soul. The whole world seems to go silent around the American man to watch Quon hit the ground, surrounded by the ruins of a place once enjoyed by children who were without a care in the world.
He slowly turns his head back towards the anger that encompasses the battlefield. Thanks to the haze Vega's will can cast on an unprepared mind - or one at least one that might be as ready as any can be - it's difficult to tell the two apart, for a moment.
Howard shakes his head once. He's still not even really sure how life kept going in these directions. He's still got his dreams and hopes - he's too old to be innocently wide-eyed and idealistic. Yet, the only way to see them through...
He rears back his head as the rest of him fights to move underneath sadness and the weight of Vega's palpable aura of negativity. Moments later, he throws his head forward, scalp-(...and dark purple /thing/-)first into Vega, butting his mind into the fray.
He's already made up his.
COMBATSYS: Sagat successfully hits Vega with Tiger Carry.
- Power hit! -
VEGA
[ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
1|----===========|===============
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Sagat 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Rust
COMBATSYS: Vega interrupts Hardhat Rush from Rust with Fierce Kick.
! VENGEANCE !
*KNOCKED AWAY*
VEGA
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1|---============|===============
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Sagat 0/-------/---====|=======\===----\1 Rust
Ah, Vega. He doesn't even get time to revel in his thorough crushing of the young man that's vexed him so. He should, in reality, think it an honor to be important enough for the Psycho Master to destroy. Most men don't even register on his radar. Indeed, in normal situations, Quon would never have been of enough importance to get his attention. But he and Cammy, always there, always TALKING... Nothing will ever convince him that his brainwashing was faulting. It must surely be Quon's fault, through and through. Even now, he steps forward, eager to continue to crush, to rend, to rip the flesh from his useless bones. How was he to know, though, that Sagat would take it so /personally/?
And then, all he can see is Sagat's hand as it wraps around his face.
There's a token struggle to try and wrest himself from the man's grip. He wrenches his shoulder, pushes at his chest, does his damnest to get his finger in the man's remaining good eye. But Sagat, he is strong. He is big. And now, he's angry. It's true that Vega feeds off of such emotions, but right now, it's feeding the God of Muay Thai. The raven-haired psion is lifted, thrown, smashed into a wall not unlike Quon was earlier. The only difference is that he didn't get tossed through multiple walls to get here. The cheap bricks shatter behind him, scores of them falling on his person even as he tries to get up. A snarl is heard, clear and feral.
Rust thought that the air was heavy before? It is NOTHING like it is now. Every inch of the old playground is thick with Vega's presence. That is not an understatement. It feels like he's behind. To the side. Above, below. Psychic waves echo off of walls and wood and pipes, making it seem like he's as omnipotent as the Holy Ghost itself. That is, if the Holy Ghost was a murderous son of a bitch.
"YOU!" bursting back through the gaping wall, a swing of his hand sends the pile of bricks flying to the side. His boots press into the ground so heavily that they leave imprints. Rust wants to play? Fine. "Out of MY WAY!" He bellows with such force, such resonance, that it rings within one's mind, throbbing and pressing and yearning to escape one's skull. His left heel plans and his right comes forward, the right boot heel smashing that abysmal excuse for a hairpiece head on. His whole leg is covered in ever-bleeding energy, ensuring that the kick hurts far worse than it has any right to.
An angry Sagat can be a very bad thing. At the same time it means he isn't really thinking about what he is doing. Vega may not have planned it, but in a way he might have actually made Sagat less dangerous for the fact he is just looking to go on a rampage at this point. Even more so when he is looking to go after Vega some more poor Rust gets caught with a powerful kick that sends the ex teacher flying. Right now at the rate Sagat is going he won't be able to move for awhile once the adrenaline dies down, but for now it along with his rage keeps him going all out.
He charges foward once more and Vega will not have to worry about coming to Sagat. The master of Muay Thai is more than helpful by coming right for Vega and meet him head on. It is a dangerous thing to do, but standing back and trying to calm himself isn't really an option at this point. All he knows is he wants to feel the snapping of bones as they give away under the might of his strikes.
He closes in and then leaps upwards brings a knee forward. All his weight is thrown into the strike as he looks to just impact Vega and perhaps even send them through another wall. Has Vega created a monster he can't tame even with the power of that strange solution he has injected himself with?
Rust's mind blanks out to the color of that foul pinkish-purplish hue as his body only vaguely understands the stimulus of pain not just from a boot to the head, but from himself tumbling over bricks, swingsets, a light pole, and a sharp gate that is now more a tangled mass of twisted metal once it catches him.
Out of my way, Vega commands, and his mind struggles to process which way is in or out, what color is... what those shapes are over there. His mouth hangs open for a brief time, blood trickling down the side of his head while his mind throbs.
Chun-Li's words ring a little clearer when his mind starts running through recent evnets to figure out why he's here. Vega's ability to win... it thrives on /you/. Or, rather, him. And... and that other guy, S-word. Sa.... Sagat. And... Quon.
It also thrives on his ability to figure out why he feels so caught and stuck together, as his body struggles to untangle itself out of that gate he was smashed into. One of his knees scream. C'mon, damn it, he growls as he pulls himself out of the gate with such force it buckles loudly under him forcing his arm and leg out of there.
He can't hope to close the distance between himself and those two. A metal sphere-shaped decoration at the end of a very short wall ends up being key, as he takes Ol' Rusty in both hands and nods. They're trembling.
Steady, he says to himself. There's a few practice swings before he has it in him. The weight of Vega's influence presses upon him, gently urging him to just go sit back down in the gate and pretend he didn't get back up.
He responds to it by swinging Ol' Rusty like a baseball bat against the sphere decoration, knocking it clean off the wall (and taking some bricks with it) as he bats it over in Vega's direction.
"'m not stayin' out," he mumbles aloud a few times over to convince himself that he's not staying out. Quon needs him. Sagat needs him. Sagat might be the stronger fighter by leagues, but he needs him.
Everyone needs him.
Everyone needs everyone.
COMBATSYS: Sagat successfully hits Vega with Tiger Crush.
- Power hit! -
VEGA
[ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
2|<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<|<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Sagat 0/-------/---====|=======\===----\1 Rust
COMBATSYS: Vega dodges Rust's Large Thrown Object.
VEGA
[ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
2|<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<|<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Sagat 0/-------/---====|=======\===----\1 Rust
Rust's efforts are, at least this time, in vain. Oh, it's not that it wasn't a good try. It's not that his aim isn't true. In fact, that ball sails cleanly, slicing through the air that Vega was in.
Was?
That's right. Sagat's so angered, so utterly FURIOUS that he'd kneed his former master clear through another wall AND the ceiling above it. Massive holes show where he went, but he's now in another building, out of sight. As if to cut the tension, a few tiles fall from the ceiling, clattering onto the cheap linoelum floor below. The kitchen is ruined, covered in dust and filth. Oh, but Vega is not dead. He is obviously still alive. He's at the tip of the fighters' fingers, his /being/ still very much there.
The thick air grows colder, icy in fact, as the Dread Lord comes hovering down to ground level through the whole he'd been kicked through. His head is lowered and his limbs are slackened. Twice--TWICE has he been put in such a state! His body is littered in open cuts once again, bruises clear where he'd been beaten with the environs. However, it's hard to tell EXACTLY how injured he is, given that he's utterly encased in a raging inferno of psycho power. It's a living thing unto itself, reaching outward toward the nearest sign of lift, drawing thing before it wisps away as fire is wont to do when it exceeds its reach. When he heels touch against the ground, there's a shockwave that ripples through the clutter. Pans are sent flying outward as the man's power rages and rails against the flimsy, fleshy cage that it's contained in. The bulging veins are thick all over his body, the self-poisoning's effects growing more apparent as time goes on.
And then, he's suddenly before Sagat! More specifically, his heels are. The Shadaloo Master is not yet defeated, and the sheer speed with which he flips and smashes those armored boots at Sagat's face shows it.
COMBATSYS: Vega successfully hits Sagat with Nightmare Booster.
- Power hit! -
! VENGEANCE !
VEGA
[ ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
0|---------------|------=========
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
Sagat 1/------=/=======|=======\===----\1 Rust
Once. Twice. Three times. Vega flips end over end, beating the cyclop's head into the ground itself. The linoleum cracks under the pressure, but its relief is quick in coming. A hand lifts Sagat's body by the head, the shorter man lifting the taller up, looking at the powerful mountain with a deranged, maniacal sneer on his lips. Even now, mere touch is agony. The visions of Quon's fresh defeat force their way into his mind, the slaughter of countless Thailand natives leaking blood into an increasingly ruddy soil. All this and more is granted by Vega's will alone.
But the torture is not yet finished, oh no. Trash lifts up about the two before another flare-up of energy absorbs the pair. Kicking off of apparently nothing, Vega launches himelf forward, both fists jamming into Sagat's recently-irradiated gut. Spinning, churning, Vega takes his once-minion on a ride toward the heavens, lifting up until they both hover over the line of the surrounding buildings. Another flip, another smash with both heels sends Sagat screaming back down to earth, left to beat upon the metal and plastic beneath. A second later, the thoroughly-thrashed Psycho Master follows, both heels slamming into his stomach anew, just to drive the point home.
And then, he turns his sights on Rust...
If anything Rust has been given some time to come back to his senses fully. Or as much as he can after being treated to such a powerful strike right to the head. Sagat does well at carrying away Vega and certainly gaining his full attention as they continue to further destroy the terrain they are fighting in. He has no reason to hold back. There are no innocents to worry about right now. Only fighters that know what they were getting themselves into. Quon may be dead and Rust is hurting. All that runs through Sagat's mind right now is to find the strength to defeat Vega.
He is breathing heavily as he lands on his feet and he stares down the powerful and fearsome Vega. Afraid? He would be a fool to not feel that way. He does well at masking that fear. He knows Vega would feed off it even more than the anger that Sagat feels right now. Even as he quickly moves to strikes Sagat looks to meet his former master head on.
It seems Vega has had enough in the end. Much like how Rust felt Sagat's mind is torn asunder not just by the sheer force of each blow, but also from the immense energy tearring through his mind and eating at his flesh. This may perhaps be something more painful than being caught in the blast of the nuke. In the end he will not regret gaining the attention of Vega. He may have just saved Rust's life. He isn't sure if he could survive such a brutal beating.
Even as he is driven into the ground and left for dead he still can't fully collect his thoughts. His body spasms and his mind is swimming as he tries to gather his wits. Hands claw at the air a few times and the giant fighter scrambles to try and get to his feet. His already battered body is marred with new cuts and scrapes and his skin reddened from the impact combined with the psychopower unleashed on him. He won't stop. He can move so he can still fight.
Even so it is shaky movements and he does his best to keep his body from twitching. Vega may have his attention on Rust, but may soon realize he is about to be attacked from the behind. While Sagat may be known for his kicks he can also deliver a punishing punch as well. There is a reason despite all the kicks and knees his uppercut is perhaps his most feared attack. While it isn't an uppercut he looks to grab Vega by the shoulder and spin him right around so that might chin can meet mighty fist. "NO."
The strength of which Vega gets ejected through a wall and ceiling is enough to send bricks going as far as Rust's way. One actually beans him in his upper leg, while others bounce and roll along the ground just past him. He doesn't seem to notice. Indeed, through a battered body and resistant limbs, Howard trudges ever closer. He is slowed as much by physical harm as the metaphysical. Even with Chun-Li's advice, Vega's... /being/ takes an incredible act of willpower to even just stand and look at. That Vega is encased in his will given shape and form makes him look more like a hole in reality that his mind does not want to comprehend the nature of, to not even dwell upon it.
The way Sagat is punished by Vega's own rage forces him to rationalize what's going on, even as dust and collapsing ruin occasionally obscure his view of the details. Rust even stops for a moment, to double over and continue clutching Ol' Rusty like a security blanket.
To say nothing of those /eyes/ looking upon him. They compel him to look upon him, to feed him fear. There is plenty of it. Howard shakes, visibly...
But Sagat will not stay down. This movement of a man so powerful that is willing to pull himself back up gives him renewed faith, and with that, he wills himself to move closer.
"You're... you're afraid." Rust lets words just fall out of his mouth, maybe to hold Vega's attention even as the movement of his eyes may betray Sagat's play. "That's... that's what this is." Rust continues to speak as he moves ever closer towards certain death. Vega's victory depends on him letting him guide him by fear. He unclenches his left hand by force of will to stop himself from going into that posture that hardens him up. He needs to keep moving. Ol' Rusty is held down low to the side as he moves forward.
"Doin'... what you did to, did to... Quon... him... Chun-Li... Sagat... e-everyone," he says as he draws ever nearer, "'s the... the only way you can... you can get over it. It's... it's not our fear that, that... that you're... you're, y'know, uh, you're drawing on."
With that, his right wrist spins a little. He has so much to say about it all, but so little time - one more good hit might take him down. The bleeding out the side of his head is not something to be considered trifling, to speak nothing of recent injuries. But, what he has is enough. Enough to swing Ol' Rusty upwards in an advancing uppercut, attempting to try and beat Sagat's movements to the punch - whatever punch he's planning - to keep Vega's eyes focused on /him/. Putting pipe to chin would be a bonus.
That he'd be willing to potentially sacrifice himself should speak to Sagat as to how much faith he's willing to put into a man who all but muscled himself into his life, all for the sake of Quon being able to stand back up and reach out for his dreams.
COMBATSYS: Vega blocks Sagat's Strong Punch.
VEGA
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Sagat 1/----===/=======|=======\==-----\1 Rust
COMBATSYS: Vega fails to interrupt Cement Upper from Rust with Dead Rise.
VEGA
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0|---------------|===============
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Sagat 1/----===/=======|=======\===----\1 Rust
Sagat's effort is valiant, that much is true! Never before has he seen Vega this...brutal. This fierce. The man has always been something of a monster, but this? This is downright inhuman. Unthinkable. Rust has the right idea; subconsciously cutting Vega's being is perhaps the only way that he's staying alive. Staying SANE. Even so, the mountainous man summons forth the strength to get up. To fight. He may be the only thing keeping Rust from sharing Quon's face.
Vega finds himself gripped, swung around. The incoming fist finds purchase on that magnificent chin, but the target turns away. His head spins in a sickening fashion, the wet squelch of torn muscle allowing for nauseating movement. Blood spurts from a fresh tear in his neck, so dark that it looks blackened. A swing of his arm pushes Sagat away, but there's no strength in it beyond what's needed to separate the two.
And then Rust has to open his mouth.
If nothing else, it causes the demon to stop. There he is, standing, bleeding, his body so obviously trying to tear itself apart in its futile attempt to contain the man's mental might. Oh, and he laughs. A deep, rich thing, marred by a gurgling of fluids by the end, pointed by a wet cough. "ME? Afraid?!" He steps forward, just a single step. "As if a weak-minded simpleton like you could ever grasp even an INKLING of my greatness! You are NOTHING in the grand scheme of things, a gnat to--" When he steps forward again, he struggles. More muscles and tendons tear, his planted leg streaking black down his skin and soaking what's left of his pants. He wills himself to move. He MUST move. His other leg lifts, seeking to meet the rushing "hero" head-on with a boot to his throat...but he can't do it. He can't move as he pleases. He's bleeding power, permeating everything about him, but his flesh is failing him.
It makes it easy for Ol' Rusty to beat against his chin. Now the bones beneath fracture and crack, his jaw falling slack despite his attempts to close it. Sickening.
The anger may be subsiding some and Sagat is starting to feel himself slow down. He really can do nothing about it. He can still feel that power lingering and eating at him. Even if the bleeding manages to lessen he can do nothing to stop the psychopower that seems to drain him of all his energy. It just means he needs to be quick about things and hope he can really take down Vega with the help of Rust. Losing Quon so early made this a very daunting task. It was going to be tough to start. It almost felt like it would be impossible with Quon defeated like that.
But then there is Rust. A man that might never look like much, but perhaps the most reliable person Sagat has ever met. A man that is starting to persue the life of a fighter at an age where everyone thought he was past his prime. People do not understand the desires of men like Rust. It isn't about being all powerful or maybe even famous. He just wants to persue his dream and not let even someone like Vega get in his way. That is why even as he feels himself weaken and his punch not hit Vega as he wanted he smiles when Rust manages to clock the fearsome dictator.
"Rust......we will finish this.....for Quon and for all those that have been hurt along the way." he murmurs. It even hurts to talk. His hands begin to glow with his own energy as he grits his teeth and tries to summon forth all the power he has left in him. He isn't sure if he can truely finish off Vega, but while he is staggered Sagat will do his best to put an end to this finally. The energy glows brightly as he rears back. "Vega.....today you fall!" he roars and he then trusts both hands forward as he angles him to avoid Rust and intends to blast Vega at point blank range. It is do or die time. "TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The voice echos through the battlefield as he releases the powerful blast. One that looks to envelope and blast away the weakened Vega. "CANNON!"
The impact is not a clear victory for one Howard Rust. To make physical contact with Vega's form, bleeding such incredible power - even through proxy such as a unfeeling, rusted object and even through the reinforced fabric of a well-worn work glove - is enough to give the man significant pause. His right hand drops Ol' Rusty right out of shock, the weakened grip of its lasting injury enough that Vega's majesty and terror - just by sheer /proxy/ - sees the weapon dropped.
God damn it I'm on to something, Howard sneers as me physically coughs once, as though his own tongue were thinking twice about this. Vega is not incorrect - he really /is/ a simple-minded man in comparison, unable to truly understand the depths of the soul. He never will understand, in full, what it means to /be/ one's own power source. The way Vega defines it...
Sagat speaks up, bringing Rust out of that brief mire of sinking to that fear that nearly snatches back the momentum. The American man nods once. Keep going. Both he and Vega are human - Vega's defined himself as he will. He has to define /himself/, to the extent he can truly /project/ even with the oft-sleepy tone of voice, the stammering, the stuttering brought on by an almost perpetual feeling of being a man who has put in a hard day's work.
"You're movin'... on your own god damn fear," Howard Rust, Hero of Nepal declares as Sagat gives his one-liner. He won't choose to let this encounter color him for the rest of the days. He won't let the sacrifices and terror leave him. He - everyone - has something to go back into. They don't have time to feed into Vega's power trips. He tried. He failed. Even if he smashes them right here and now, Vega's failed.
He's a god damn working man, and he's got a job to come back to when all's said and done, drawing upon it as he draws back a foot. The very mark of how his hard work and dedication has seen him elevate his game even as his age and physical setbacks try to hold him back.
It's but a mere glow. A flicker. A weak, washed-out grayish color (maybe greenish? Blusih?) that is insignificant compared to what incredible strength Vega puts forth. It is laughable by sheer sight. It is laughable by sheer form.
With one sharp kiai, Rust kicks his leg forward in a low kick, imparting his strength into what meager chi energy he can manifest - let alone /release/ - as it swirls as a modest (this is putting it lightly) disc of energy that teeters and totters unevenly, as if ready to spill over at any moment.
It is not the light show of Vega's will given form. It can't hold a candle to Zach's strength, but it's his. With the fullest sincerity and might he can muster, it's with that kick he sends the little swirling chi disc as it teases flickering out of existence in the shadow of Sagat's Tiger Cannon.
For its meekness, for its understated nature, it is his message to Vega about how he feels about being seen as the lesser, that he is a gnat, that is not worth all the power he is flexing to push aside those who might stop him.
He doesn't care. It's not his fear or anger that will be feeding Vega now - it is a humble representation of a man pushing himself as far as he can to a dream he is not going to let anything get in the way of. Nickelback lawsuits, work visa expiration woes, money, frustration with his job.
Not any more, as the little disc is on a bee-line to let Vega know this itself as a possible messenger of hope for a world ailing from Shadaloo's bloody conquests.
COMBATSYS: Sagat successfully hits Vega with Tiger Cannon EX.
VEGA
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1|--------=======|===============
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Sagat 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Rust
COMBATSYS: Vega endures Rust's Detour EX.
VEGA
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1|------=========|===============
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Sagat 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Rust
A pincer attack. One of the oldest, most effective tactics known to man. It's won countless battles, changed countless lives. And this time? It just might save the world.
Or so the heroes may think.
Sagat's rage slams him in the back, ripping flesh and bringing fresh springs of blackened, oxygen-deprived, poison-marred blood. He's sent flying forward with the force of impact, right toward the piddling, meager excuse of an assault from the once-modest shop teacher. Even Vega has to realize the state that his flesh is in. Trying to move it through conventional means is useless. For how long as he had to move himself with telekinetic aid? Neither of these men may know. None of them are privy to the things that go on in Vega's mind. After all this, through all the torture that this body has been put through...its time it at an end. He smiles. Damn him, he smiles as he allows himself to suffer Rust's attack. It's not as impressive as Sagat's, but it does the job. Weakened flesh is torn as it CUTS through him, sparks of chi glistening out of his back as the manifestation dissolves. He 'lands' on his feet, barely standing. He wobbles.
He falls.
Down on a knee and a hand, the Shadaloo Master laughs even as he chokes up blood. "Go on, think yourself victorious." He rises--or tries to, but his legs falter. A broken bone? Another ripped muscle? In either case, the "man" drops chest-first into the sandbox, likely forever tainting it with black hatred. This place will never know peace, never know laughter. The essence of the man permeates too deep. Even as he lays there, his body continues to tear itself apart. An arm literally bursts from within, revealing titanium-enforced bone beneath. "You simple, self--self-deluded fools...!" His words come between labored breaths and crackling of voice. Now a leg bloats, the skin straining to hold fast. "I will never...NEVER be defeated. It's too late for any of you." With his jaw broken, it's a wonder that he can even speak. Perhaps he's not; the words are now clear, sounding like they're coming from everywhere. His thoughts touch upon those around him directly, impressing speech in lieu of spoken word. "All of it... Everything, exactly as...I...planned..."
Finally, Vega's body droops. It does not stay still, however. The carcass contorts with sickening sounds of tearing fibers, cracking bone, and ripping skin. Bloated to twice its size, it won't be long until the thing just explodes in a massive, incomprehensible flood of the power that the shell was meant to contain. Even after death, the Psycho Master is a deadly force to behold. The explosion is enough to take out buildings all about the playground, a shockwave of energy that corrodes and devours everything it touches.
And then it's gone. The dreadful aura, the deadly presence. The body. Not a single shred of Vega's existence is left behind.
At least, not /here/.
COMBATSYS: Vega can no longer fight.
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Sagat 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Rust
COMBATSYS: Vega successfully hits Sagat with Psycho Crusher.
- Power hit! -
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Sagat 0/-------/--=====|===----\-------\0 Rust
Sagat himself is barely able to stand. His own body is continuing to quit on him. This is why he had to strike now. He isn't sure who else could be here to see things through. Vega was weakened, but as long as he stands he is dangerous. That is why the God of Muay Thai is still doing his best to be ready for whatever Vega has to offer in response to the blast. It is a sight he has never really seen the dictator in either. His body being torn apart by whatever he injected himself with combined with the punishment he has had to endure.
He also is a braggart to the end it would seem too. He knows he has been defeated. His plan has been shredded by several people that would not back down from his attempted bullying of various nations. Places fell, but they were liberated. Others stood tall and managed to fight off the forces all together. All that is left is the last trick up Vega's sleeve. That trick is to take Rust and Sagat with him.
That unleashed wave of power is an overwhelming one. Even as Sagat does his best to prepare himself for it there really is no way to stop it. He is bowled over and he tumbles across the landscape as he tries to regain his footing. It isn't until sometime afterwards when the energy dissipates he manage to start getting up. His body just won't let him get much further up than his hands and knees. "For now.......good riddance..." he murmurs and coughs up a bit of blood that is spat off to the side. He still isn't sure if Quon is alive or not. Even now as darkness starts to overtake his vision he isn't sure if Rust survived. All he knows is all that evil and power seem to be gone. "Being a hero.....is painful...." is the last words from his mouth before he slumps over and falls unconcious.
COMBATSYS: Sagat takes no action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Rust 0/-------/----===|
COMBATSYS: Sagat can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Rust 0/-------/----===|
COMBATSYS: Rust blocks Vega's Psycho Crusher.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ <
Rust 0/-------/=======|
Rust draws back his leg to steady himself. His right hand instinctively feels the ground for where he dropped Ol' Rust-- there it is. It is snapped up as quickly as the man can move his hand, watching Vega's body fall apart. It's gut-wrenching to watch, to even imagine the degree of injury that he's... moving at. The way Vega suddenly brags even as they flop into the sandbox is enough to earn a defensive point of the pipe. The way bone seems to burst out the body, Rust shoots a glance over to Sagat (his neck twinges in pain - again), then back over to...
Shit, Quon!
The boasts end up becoming secondary as he jogs off to where Quon fell, crouching down in front of him. His back is turned to Vega - he clenches his fist, as the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. A sick, overwhelming feeling fills his gut - and his mind. He does not need to see the power bubbling up to know it's there. One of his knees does a fine job tugging the metaphorical sleeve (...thigh?), but it all goes secondary to the fact Quon's there, he's in danger.
Rust's vague outline disappears in the wake of the shockwave that rattles through the area. His eyes shut tight, his ears flooded with traumatic amounts of noise that yet does not exceed the imparted hatred of Vega's will on his mind.
Though his mind begins to blank, he keeps his left fist clenched. He tries to remember Chun-Li's words best he can - rise above it all. Words can only do so much against incredible, unrelenting force as Rust feels his knees grinding against concrete, dirt, and other high structures. Walls collapse around him as he's shot through, but he stays grounded. His toupee flaps haphazardly, the adhesive miraculously finding some way to clutch onto one side of his balding scalp.
Stay with me, Rust tries to think good thoughts about keeping Quon alive - he has no real sense of where he is right now. His entire world, for a brief time, is Vega's psycho power. He has the unfortunate luck to be conscious through it - there's a glass-shattering yell as it proves extremely difficult to shut pretty much any of it out.
It... disperses before long. How? His body creaks and crackles all over as it fights the want to move at all. With it, Rust faces the dirtied sidewalk. Light reaches his eyes, shapes itself into more familiar colors and shapes, as he turns to look to the sky.
The sky is clear. So blue. No... pinkish-purple. He takes a few rapid breaths as he considers where he is... Vega. He doesn't feel him - did he disappear? Is he... dead? Gone? Such a simple assumption, but one Howard foolishly grasps as he stands himself up. His body crackles all the way.
There's Sagat's voice, from what he can hear as he sees him slump over.
"S-Sagat," Rust stammers out as he limps over to him. "We... we, uh, we... we really did... didn't we... uh. Quon?"
Where is Quon? He coughs a few times as he casts a few more looks around. "Quon? Quon... Quon," he murmurs, "he... Vega can't, he can't hurt you any more, and..."
There's just so much to say. So much to do. Howard falls back to his knees and decides he's just going to have to take a moment to really breathe it all in.
It wouldn't be long before the rest of the world came to see what the hell was up with that last explosive shockwave. He'll... he'll be able to tell them.
COMBATSYS: Rust takes no action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\ <
Rust 0/-------/=======|
Log created on 18:23:11 03/12/2012 by Vega, and last modified on 22:18:28 03/14/2012.