End of the World - EotW2: No More Mr. Nice Guy

Description: The showdown for control of the Metro City underworld takes place in the second story of a flooded house with broken floorboards, a suitable metaphor for the state of the metropolis as a whole. With the well-known gangs in disarray and the city crumbling around them, Wendigo and his minion Cheshire square off with the dapper Mr. Burr and his hungry hireling Varvara. The only way to settle once and for all who will unify Metro's dregs is to rumble. Whoever loses this battle will have to settle for second-in-command, but no matter who wins, the four of them could become a force to be reckoned with, and as a team would have a chance to make some serious cash off the end of days. (If... any of them are left standing...)



The rain keeps pouring. The winds keep pushing. The people keep evacuating. Metro City is no longer a big, bustling center of activity as the largest city in the United States. It is quickly becoming a ghost town with all the evacuations from rising flood waters and structures giving way under the intense wind shear. As every hour passes, it feels more and more that the very city is crumbling apart to dust.
Up in the second story of a long-abandoned house whose ground floor is now completely submerged underwater, the structure sways and creaks ominously every so often. Even the rats, the cockroaches, the rest of the vermin that plague the urban landscape appear to know better than to cling onto these manmade structures for shelter or warmth.
Only the most daring of opportunists dare gather here as the rain pounds at rotting wood and weakened, eroded foundations. There's barely any real shelter to be had other than two strangely intact glass windows that so far have held up.
Coming in from above where an oddly-placed panel on the roof allows access from a short journey across other rooftops, the infamous eternally-hungry wrestler Varvara all but flings herself inside from the cold rain. Drenched from head to toe, she huddles around herself for warmth - hardly the picture of perfect health - as she retreats out of the room with the mysterious roof access into a hallway that leads to several other, smaller rooms along the side... a bathroom, probably one or two bedrooms. She has no idea where anyone else is.
Only the understanding that she needs to be here, if she wants to eat.
She hasn't been able to eat in at least four days.

From the door at the end of the hallway Varvara is in, light spills into the hallway, steady and clean. Hearing the commotion, a dapper chap with a cane and a bowler hat peers over at her from said room, his even smile and piercing gaze looking her up and down briefly. He is somewhat damp, given the circumstances, but seeing as he is in a mostly-intact room with a small lamp for light, nowhere near the drenched look of his now-arrived compatriot.

"Aaahhh. THERE you are! I was wondering if you would arrive on time or not. You had a pleasant trip i trust, yes?". He politely tips his hat to her, before continuing "All we await now is our opposition for the extensive debate that is sure to ensue. I trust you are adaquately 'prepared', if not dressed for the occasion". He looks her up and down again.

Some people swam, some people drowned. Some people fought on rickety little gondolas, and some, like Wendigo, cruised in style on his own personal yacht, the Great White. Wendigo was enjoying himself quite a bit, in the pilot's section with a can of beer from the cooler and dressed like he was on vacation in the Bahamas. What was it with people here and inappropriate attire, anyway? Didn't they know that this was serious?!

Well, while others might not have had a choice on account of their things being destroyed, Wendigo took joy and revelry in the mayhem that was plaguing the world, even as he looked for stragglers, survivors(with their wallets who could pay for transportations), tenacious enough looters to pay his respects to, and all in all was having a fine time of it. He simply puffed that cigar, and pointed at the building up ahead while he spoke to his guest beside him.

"Awright, this is good. See that up there, Chesh? Might be some good shit in there, an' when things get back to normal, that company might be very interested to know that their vital secrets an' highly illegal dirty laundry is safe an' sound...an' ready ta be leaked on the world wide web at a moment's notice. That's where you come in see? Now I'm almost out, get me a beer an' get you one too, an' we'll see about droppin' anchor and seein' if there's anythin' good. Ya followin', kid?"

It may be the end of the world, but Cheshire is never far from technology. With tablet in hand he stands next to Wendigo, peering out across the flooded city, consulting maps and blue print galore stored on his tablet. He picked a good time to make a psychotic friend, they were always the best, as long as their personal psychosis ended up pointed anywhere but at him. Dressed in cargo shorts and a bright blue t-shirt, his hair dyed a ridiculous shade of red that exists nowhere in nature, he at least stood out on his own. Nor was he bothering to hide his weapons under a hoodie anymore, pistols firmly in their underarm holsters, sawed-off shotgun strapped to his back.

"Old buildings like that are lousy with copper. Good thing about the damn end of the world, certain things are always worth money." Okay, maybe not so much a psychotic friend as a psychotic employer. Same difference in the end. When instructed to get a pair of beers he does just that, holding one out to Wendigo with the other tucked under his arm.

"Right, right. As long as their computers have some salvageable bits I should be able to get something off of it. Patent or blackmail or something." He picks up his tablet again, swiping across the screen. "Got a bead of a pharma company not far from here we can hit up next."

Varvara turns about-face to the voice with that lamp - how did she not notice him before? There's that wild, frightened look in her eyes. With that physique of hers (the very modest, even short height aside), one might imagine her having a field day with just about anyone that might cross her in these times. Easy enough to rob a sap, easy enough to loot whatever she can get those grubby hands of hers on...
But here, where so many people seem to be at a loss, at the end of their rope, she is ultimately no different from any other panicky, homeless, jobless, penniless victim of natural disasters destroying everything they knew.
That's why it was easy enough to coax her here...
"I'm here for the food," she growls out, but there's not so much bite to her voice. Weakness. She's shaking from cold, weakening from hunger. The way she sizes up the gentleman, one may fear she may be considering cannibalism after all. "There'll be food... right?"
The odds of her saying something other than 'food' are astronomically low, as she starts to pace erratically around creaky, dangerous floorboards as she goes in front of an intact window, out in the distance... an approaching yacht?
"Boat." That's not food, unless she means a desire for a sub sandwi--
"Boat." She points to the window, monosyllabic but frantic. "Boat. Boat. Boat."

The smile Varvara recieves is not a friend one, despite the words Burr speaks "Oh, there WILL be food. PROVIDED, of course, that you prove you were worth the cost, and we succeed in the coming engagement. In short, if we win, you eat. If we LOSE, well, there ARE plenty of fish in the water around here that you may be lucky enough to catch".

Stepping forwards, Burr peers at the window in question, despite hearing the yacht perfectly well. What he sees confirms what he suspects "Our guests have arrived at last, it seems!". He pulls out a watch "Their ten minutes late, but no matter!". The watch returned to its pocket, he places the lamp on a rickety, waterlogged desk in the room he had been in, and steps out into the corridor, adjusting his tie. One must look their best at the start of a battle, after all!

Bringing up his cane, Burr approaches the window for a better look at the incoming boat. He points the tip at the boat through the window "Now, to deliver a proper invitation!". A large blast of Chi shoots from the tip, right towards the hull just above the water line!

That black, red and white yacht was coming up Arthur street, when some ghost or goblin shot a blast, right at his boat! It bounced right off with hardly any damage done whatsoever, but in the water it rocked from the impact, tilting and lurching in a way that nearly knocked Wendigo's backwards hat right off his head! The giant, albino mercenary quickly righted his craft with his own massive strength, and in a flash was racing right down in his shorts, shirt and...big black combat boots. Hey, some habits died hard!

"Somebody wants ta play, wants ta mess up this baby's paint job, eh? Chesh, I'm gonna drop anchor, you go ahead an' join in any time ya feel like while I introduce this slackjaw to the concept of double-barreled colonoscopies!"

Instantly, that big, giant oversized anchor was heaved simply and chucked right over board, and he didn't even wait for the boat to stop moving before he ran and leapt right through a window, rolling to a knee, and ending a full level below the two already inside. But he looked up, hearing them just fine through the damaged and thin walls and floorboards. He spoke in a taunting voice.

"Ya clowns picked a bad day ta get on my badside! Ya don't want the Wendigo chasin' ya, this I promise!"

Cheshire puts out an arm to stabilize himself as the boat starts rocking, his eyes never quite leaving his tablet. It looks like he's getting used to rocking boats, maybe Wendigo is no the best skipper in the world, or else he's just so absorbed in his computer that he's just oblivious to the fact other things are going on around him.

As Wendigo goes rushing off, Cheshire's eyes finally peel away from the screen. "Huh? Didn't know you were a proctologist." Yup, oblivious.

He lets out a heavy sigh and walks right out onto deck, strolling almost casually to the window so graciously pre-shattered by the barreling man-shark. He pokes his head inside, peering around. "Well, I guess we get to have a little fun on this one." He doesn't sound like he's about to have fun, it sounds like he's staying it's time to go to work.

COMBATSYS: Mr.Burr has started a fight here on the left meter side.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Mr.Burr          0/-------/-------|


COMBATSYS: Varvara has wandered into the fight here on the left meter side.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Varvara          0/-------/-------|
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Mr.Burr          0/-------/-------|


COMBATSYS: Wendigo has joined the fight here on the right meter side.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Varvara          0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0          Wendigo
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Mr.Burr          0/-------/-------|


COMBATSYS: Cheshire has joined the fight here on the right meter side.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Varvara          0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0          Wendigo
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Mr.Burr          0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0         Cheshire


Win and eat. Be strong enough, and eat. She's understood this from the very beginning when she chose her path in life. Now, the severity of the situation has made this much more concrete. She nods a few times as if to say 'yes I know I know I know I'M HUNGRY,' because that is exactly what she's saying through nods.
As the enigmatic Mr. Burr steps up to give a welcome, Varvara recoils from the rush of air and water that pours upon her with the opening. She just came out of there, and she sure doesn't seem happy to be exposed to that anew when she just wants to lay down near... an old boiler, or something. Something warm.
Maybe she would be so bold as to imagine a comfy hotel room and a regular bed, at this point.
Wendigo barrels just past her in a dramatic entry. She flinches further, shielding herself with those muscular arms of hers from whatever debris occurs from his entry as she shies away from the wind and rain that follows in their wake - Wendigo's threats ring surprisingly hollow, given the strength and confidence he projects, as opposed to a seeming fear of just her very environment around her.
She casts a look over to Mr. Burr - her current boss, as it were - over to the smug confidence of Wendigo, to the face of someone just peeking in--
She doesn't even really give the one just peering in through the window a fair shake or size-up, other than just acknowledge they have a face, probably a neck, probably the rest of their body as she runs over with a yell to attempt to take him by the neck and slam him up against one of the rotting walls right next to the window which... is no small feat, given he is over half a foot taller than she is and has at least a good thirty pounds on her.
Desperation, one of the foremost ingredients of feats of physical prowess in a pinch.

As Wendigo plows through into their small abode, and Varvara goes after her prey, Burr stands with all the grace and poise of a gentleman as he looks up at Wendigo, spinning his cane on his wrist in a happy-go-lucky manner "My my.... i HAD heard you were large. I had thought it only exaggeration!". His smile widens, and the piercing gaze of his has a hint of madness to it that wasn't there before "Time to find out if the wendigo is really as strong as they say!".

That said, he abruptly stops the canes spin by catching it firmly in his hand, lashing out with a sudden stab with the metal-banded tip right towards Wendigos adams apple!

COMBATSYS: Wendigo blocks Mr.Burr's Cane Twirl.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Varvara          0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0          Wendigo
[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Mr.Burr          0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0         Cheshire


The ivory terror dusted that glass off of his shoulders, picking a few shards out of his arms and shoulders that caused the miniature wounds to immediately start to close up. A remarkable creature, was he. And as he stood to his full height, taking that hat off and throwing it aside, he flashed an absolutely -evil- grin at the man opposite him, cracking his knuckles.

"Think I'm big, ya should see my d-"

Whatever that thought might have been, it's interrupted by that jabbing cane hurtling towards his adam's apple. Unphased by the slightest, Wendigo let it travel towards him before instantly slamming his head down, catching the tip of that weapon between his chin, and the start of his sternum. He held up one hand, pointing his index finger to the sky, and then...wagged it. Apparently, this was a bad idea on Mr. Burr's part.

It's a bad idea, because Wendigo is instantly grabbing up with that reach of his and grabbing at the throat of his well-dressed enemy, trying to throw him upwards, right into the moldy roof of that waterlogged building!

COMBATSYS: Varvara successfully hits Cheshire with Quick Throw.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Varvara          0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0          Wendigo
[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Mr.Burr          0/-------/-------|===----\-------\0         Cheshire


There's a few moments of Cheshire's head being stuck through the window, blinking at Wendigo. "Hey wouldn't it be better if we.. urk!" Followed by him being rather unceremoniously being pulled through a broken window and slammed up against the wall with a rather satisfying crunch. Well, satisfying for Varvara anyway, Cheshire finds that crunch rather distressing.

He smiles right down in the face of the woman staring up at him, showing teeth in a way too cheery grin. "Oh, don't you smell like the donkey end of an ass."

That Cheshire, always a charmer. As long as she's getting to steamed at his comments to notice the sparking chi flowing around his hand. "Wait think I got that backwards.." The electric chi shoots from his hand towards the woman with a sound like a screeching bat.

COMBATSYS: Cheshire successfully hits Varvara with Little Bat.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Varvara          0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0          Wendigo
[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Mr.Burr          0/-------/-------|===----\-------\0         Cheshire


There is a certain tunnel vision that Varvara goes into as her current boss and the so-called big man square off behind her. At any given moment, any one of them might swing uncomfortably close, to think nothing of batting her aside as an afterthought.
Her teeth clench at Chershire's insult. It's... not in offense. She is struggling to maintain her strength from starvation, so focused on trying to keep a hold on the larger fellow as he shoots electrical chi through her. It forces her to back away as she stumbles across the threadbare, aged, damaged carpet a ways as she twitches.
Being damp from all the rain probably does not help matters much as she doubles over, sucking in breath as her ears ring.
She looks up, eyes narrowing. There's no traditional pankration stance she enters, no polite greeting as she would often remind herself to do out of a force of habit. She is much less and less the fighter she's trained herself to be, and wears the hunger on her shoulder.
A pure, uncompromising willingness to do the guy before her serious grievous harm to the satisfaction of someone who promised her food as she comes in swinging with her fists, left cross, right cross, left cross again, all swinging around his chest level.
She doesn't seem like she'd be one for clever back and forth banter, to the chagrin of all who at least put in great effort to show a modicum of showmanship even with the lack of an audience.

COMBATSYS: Mr.Burr blocks Wendigo's Power Throw.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Varvara          0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0          Wendigo
[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Mr.Burr          0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0         Cheshire


Like Varvara, Burr has something of a tunnel vision for this particular fight. This looks like it will be FUN! With a smile of gleeful abandon he brings his arms up, the iron bracings under the sleeves doing their work as he bats away Wendigos hands before he can get a good enough grip.

"Careful of the coat!" he muses as he takes a hop back, bringing up his cane to point at Wendigo "It was very expensive!". With that, a beam of chi is fired, smaller than what was used on his boat, but still nonetheless dangerous, aimed as close as one can aim a cane at someones eyes!

COMBATSYS: Mr.Burr successfully hits Wendigo with Cane Beam.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Varvara          0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0          Wendigo
[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Mr.Burr          0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0         Cheshire


Wendigo instinctively shut his eyes and averted his gaze, remembering his fights with Zach and grinning at the memory even as that little beam smashed into him and caused him to stagger and stumble. He immediately moved towards the ultraviolent drug kingpin while his eyes opened once more. Blood-red orbs glaring right at his quarry after that light did damage to him, blinking away spots even after taking that reactive precaution, but he wasn't grinning and joking anymore. Now it was time to get serious!

He spit that cigar right out as he leapt at the cane-wielding punk, aiming a kick right at the man's mid-section! Unfortunately, it wasn't just a regular kick. Mid-way, a spring-loaded blade popped right out of the toe section, serrated and promising to do serious damage if it made contact!

COMBATSYS: Varvara successfully hits Cheshire with Medium Punch.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Varvara          0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0          Wendigo
[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Mr.Burr          0/-------/------=|=======\-------\0         Cheshire


"Ahg!" Cheshire tries to move to the side, but hesitates and picks the wrong side to move to, taking one of the punches square to his side. He goes tumbling to the ground, at least trying to fake being more injured than he is. Not that he has to fake too much, those swings hurt like hell.

When he comes up, his twin handguns are out of their holsters, and with a quick flip of a switch on their side, the twin knife blade bayonets swing into place with a solid click.

"Aren't you a psychotic little wrecking ball." He crosses one arm, using it as a rest to aim his other gun right at her. Sure, it's not a fancy fighting move, but there's something to be said for just shooting someone. And he's aiming right for her chest. It's the end of the world, what's a little gun fire?

COMBATSYS: Cheshire successfully hits Varvara with Power Shot.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Varvara          0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0          Wendigo
[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Mr.Burr          0/-------/------=|=======\-------\1         Cheshire


Punching, punching, punching. She's reckless in just laying into the gun-toting electrically-charged man. There's almost a mindlessness to it. Base. Really savage. Even when he starts flashing guns around, there isn't much actual hesitation from her to keep staying on top of him, drawing back a fist as though ready to reach out and strike him anew, to bore that fist right into the side she's already bruised - to her belief, he's hurt. Just not hurt enough.
She also believes making sure she upgrades 'hurt' to 'no longer moving, possibly never again' will ensure she actually gets to freakin' eat as she chases after him in that exaggerated reaction to her assault. She yells something in her native tongue that is actually equally gibberish aside from the beginnings of actual Greek.
She really is a psychotic little wrecking ball, and she doesn't allow herself to comprehend that there's a live gun being aimed at her as Cheshire goes for the shot to the chest.
She recoils back immediately, taken off her feet as her back slams into one of the walls. She slowly slides down, as if in shock, filthy left hand clutching her chest where it's struck. Her head lowers, turns off to the side, shaking.
...Could that have done the trick? Her breathing grows a bit heavier.

COMBATSYS: Varvara takes no action.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Varvara          0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0          Wendigo
[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Mr.Burr          0/-------/------=|=======\-------\1         Cheshire


COMBATSYS: Mr.Burr blocks Wendigo's This is a Knife.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Varvara          0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0          Wendigo
[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Mr.Burr          0/-------/-----==|=======\-------\1         Cheshire


With practiced ease, Burr brings his arm up, stopping the boot at the ankle before the knife strikes him. He closes his hand on Wendigos ankle, clenching it tightly to cause any pain he can with his strong grip, as well as to hold the leg still.

Burr smiles viciously, and twists the limb, adding a slight torque for added discomfort while attempting to throw the not-so-gentle giant in a shoulder throw, tossing him into the wall behind the dapper gentleman!

COMBATSYS: Mr.Burr successfully hits Wendigo with Strong Throw.
- Power hit! -
> Determined Hit! <

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Varvara          0/-------/---====|=======\-------\0          Wendigo
[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Mr.Burr          0/-------/----===|=======\-------\1         Cheshire


His leg was caught, and moments later he was thrown in a most undignified fashion. Landing his skull right into that wall and smashing right through it, the big man rolls his ankle and re-locates the joint, using his own bodyweight to 'pop' it back into place when he rips himself out of that disgusting collection of plaster and cockroaches. He sneered, and whistled a very peculiar tune while pulling a special surprise right out of his cargo shorts, the useful pockets helpful for something.

Double-barrel cocked and aimed, and fired right at the back of his opponent. But that wasn't all. On the other side, on Burr's front, hopefully Cheshire heard that whistle...

There's not much celebration from Cheshire as his opponent goes sprawling into the wall. That was, after all, the point.

Oh, yes, the whistle. There's a pair of solid thunks as both guns are tossed at the floor, knife point first, wobbling as the stick into the soaked wood. He reaches back over his shoulder, slipping his sawed-off shotty out of it's harness, the twin hammers quickly cocked with practiced ease. Even in his hands it's easy to see the word 'Alice' carved right into the stock. He has a theme, and he's sticking to it damn it.

The shotgun is quickly aimed at Mr. Burr from the opposite side, then in a high pitched, almost gleeful voice he shouts, "Toasty!" And pulls the trigger.

Varvara sits there, dazed. Most people typically do not respond well to being shot, and she seems to be not that great an exception. The hand on her chest shakes every so often. She lifts it up from the wound.
Red. Blood.
She clutches it again, head lowered too far down to really get a read for her face as a whistle turns her shooter's attention away from her. She still finds it in her to turn her head to face towards the scene about to unfold. The bigger guy with the shotgun, the not quite as big guy with the shotgun, both of them going towards...
...Someone who would be paying her in food. If he dies there, then, that means... that means...!
"NO!" She yells out loud, terrified at a prospect that could just be gross overreaction, giving away that she's still in some state to at least scream as she scrambles to her feet, hand away from the wound in her chest.
It's not deep, but it certainly made some headway on her person. Enough to draw blood.
With a shouting that's almost feral, she tries to all but leap upon Cheshire. She will be too late to do so before he can get that shot off. She's seemingly unarmed, as it is, compared to everyone else here.
5tThat's not quite true. Those are some pretty big guns for a woman, on those arms, as she tries to wrap her right arm around Cheshire's neck, drawing back her left hand - balled into a fist - to try and drive into the smaller gunner's skull.

COMBATSYS: Wendigo and Cheshire successfully hit Mr.Burr with Quadruple Barrel of Cheshire Cats!.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Varvara          0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0          Wendigo
[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Mr.Burr          1/-------/=======|-------\-------\0         Cheshire


His opponent thrown, Burr smiles. He hears the big man getting up, hears him pop his joint back in. Sure, he COULD try to hit the guy before he can defend himself, but where would the FUN be in that? A shame for things to be over too quickly!

Wendigo whistles, and Burr tilts his head in confusion. It dawns on him what is really going on only after seeing Cheshire pull his shotgun and aim. Hearing the clicks behind him as well, he tries to move, too slow, to bring his arms up to try to stop the shots! The first cluster of buckshot takes him in his back near the shoulderblade, pitching him forwards, while the second shot takes him in the lower torso, spinning him in a circle.

Stumbling around, he has to stop to regain his bearings, a low cackle escaping his lips as his arms hang limply, though he still clutches his cane loosly.....

COMBATSYS: Mr.Burr takes no action.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////          ]
Varvara          0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0          Wendigo
[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Mr.Burr          1/-------/=======|-------\-------\0         Cheshire


This done, the big man gives a satisfactory nod even while 'breaking' that compact weapon open, this very act 'popping' out those two spent shells audibly. Smoke rises up into the air, before it's placed back into his big right pocket, the velcro closed over to keep it from falling out. He leaned back, rolling his neck and letting the bones crackle, and nonchalantly pointing at Cheshire, shaking his head that that...creature trying to attack his hacking minion.

"Careful, kid, that bitch is about to leap on ya."

This was the extent of his touching concern for his employee, the one who just saved his ass. Instead, he brought his attention back to the man on the ground, hunching down on his knees and reaching down to physically pull that spring-loaded knife right out of his boot, flicking it between his fingers idly while he spoke.

"Well now look at ya. Bleedin' all over the place like a 'good girl' on Prom night, an' I don't even know yer name. This where ya pictured yer day goin'? This about what you wanted outta life when ya decided that you just -haaad- ta fuck with me? Huh?"

COMBATSYS: Wendigo focuses on his next action.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Varvara          0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0          Wendigo
[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Mr.Burr          1/-------/=======|-------\-------\0         Cheshire


COMBATSYS: Cheshire fails to interrupt Minotaur Slayer from Varvara with Trick Shot.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Varvara          0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0          Wendigo
[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Mr.Burr          1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0         Cheshire


"Bitch? That's a girl?" Oh yes, he's wonderfully charming, isn't he. He snags one of his handguns out of the floorboards, shotgun still gripped in his other hand.

"Time for more gun, huh?" He spins around fast enough to get his gun up in defense, aiming at the woman who is doing nothing more than charging right into his firing line. He puts on his cockiest grin, and pulls the trigger to a rather anti-climactic click. It's only then he notices he's aiming the shotgun instead of the handgun. The unloaded because it was just fired shotgun. "Oh, shi..." And then he's in a grapple.

"Not the hair, not the hair!!" And then she does exactly what he doesn't want, and drives her fist into his perfectly styled faux-hawk. And his skull, too. But that's not nearly as important.

That is a girl, a girl whose seeming bloodlust does nothing to slow her approach when she's got that shotgun pointed at her. Heedless - or maybe doing it because she's scared witless of what she thinks it means for her boss to get doubled up upon - she goes through that sequence of events as advertised. Headlock, punch.
Her face is flush with anger and frustration, standing over the screaming, protesting gunner with the faux-hawk as though preparing to continue to utterly brutalize him. She stands out among the crowd of men of relatively good cheer and humor about the whole crime and underworld business - even when they're all but trying to kill one another, something about it seems like it might be all in good fun.
Not to her.
As Wendigo cracks wise with that knife at the ready and the boss still down there, suffering...
She doesn't really seem to have strong feelings for the so-called Mr. Burr in any sort of capacity that could be assumed. He most certainly was not taking her here as part of some sort of deviant date where they pick and shoot expensive-looking yachts out there. No, there's probably another reason he wanted her, specifically.
Something beyond how easy it was to get her to tag along with the promise of food.
Something like how she's suddenly leaping at Wendigo to try and get both meaty arms around his neck, attempting to get him from behind and yank backwards. Downward. To bring him down to a seated position as she all but tries to squeeze the very air out of his throat as she utters something else entirely alien aside from sounding very angry.
It's all fun and games until Varvara gets her hands on someone.

That hurt. That hurt a LOT! How delicious.....

The Indomitable Mr.Burr slowly looks up, grinning from ear to ear. He can hear his compatriot earing her meal, which is all fine and dandy. She is serving his purpose well. At this rate, he coniders her for definate future employment. After all, food is DEFINATELY a better motivator for someone than simple money!

That all sifts past in a moment, as he looks towards the OTHER person who shot at him, those mad piercing eyes locking on Cheshire. Leaving the yeti to Varvara for the moment, he steps over to the downed gunfighter, and attempts to bring the metal-clad tip of his cane down, hard, on the back of the lads neck, and grind it there a moment with his body weight, laughing the entire time!

COMBATSYS: Wendigo Toughs Out Varvara's Medium Throw!

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Varvara          0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1          Wendigo
[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////                   ]
Mr.Burr          1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0         Cheshire


COMBATSYS: Mr.Burr successfully hits Cheshire with Strong Punch.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Varvara          0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1          Wendigo
[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////                         ]
Mr.Burr          1/------=/=======|=======\-------\1         Cheshire

(LOG EDITOR'S NOTE: Cheshire's player chose to disconnect after being hit by a knockout blow and did not provide a closing pose. Apologies for the inconvenience.)

The knife was dropped, clanging and clattering to the ground and the big man was instantly grabbed, those meaty arms wrapping around his throat, and what felt like a sick cat was suddenly on him, using all her strength to pull him down off-balance. And simply from the awkward position he was in, she succeeded partway in bringing him down on his ass and tailbone, hard.

But as for the rest of it, well...she was surely a very powerful grappler, and she was an expert in that bone-breaking, limb-ruining style she mastered, nobody here was doubting that. But the Wendigo was seven feet tall, a man of pure muscle and impossible strength that could not be fully comprehended. She was squeezing her little heart out, but all she managed to do was cause him to lose his temper when he felt that disgusting hot breath and spittle against his ear.

"Honey, I got standards. It's time ta quit flatterin' yerself an' GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!"

He used his strength and strength to suddenly hop to his feet even with all her bodyweight wrapped around him...only to suddenly fall backwards, aiming his back(and now her back) right into, and possibly through, that old wooden floor, and very possibly down to the icey waters below! Wendigo wouldn't give a damn whether this hit or missed, but she likely didn't feel the same...

COMBATSYS: Wendigo successfully hits Varvara with Combo Grapple.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Varvara          1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\1          Wendigo
[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////                         ]
Mr.Burr          1/------=/=======|=======\-------\1         Cheshire


Her protests to the politely worded request to kindly cease this unwanted sign of platonic friendship born from an unmistaken perception about their familiarity with one another is, unfortunately, not going to be put on the record.
This is because the act of her getting slammed through the weakening floor that is now a Varvara-shaped hole is now speaking for her, to translate the initial shriek and the following gurgling. At least, it would, if holes in the ground were capable of human speech. They are still very good at letting them be heard, though.
She disappears entirely from view for several seconds as she thrashes and splashes and crashes and bashes about in the muck. One would consider her out of the picture after a few seconds, were it not the sound of a piece of flooring just down the hall from the room the other men were in... straining.
She manages to catch herself on a loose floorboard out of sheer desperation, yanking it down at an angle to allow climbing back up. She shudders, teeth chattering loudly as she crawls along back up onto the floor.
Given her general state of being, somehow being dunked in the water - murky, disgusting, and full of who knows what sorts of garbage that has disintegrated in it - an actual improvement compared to before.
She would not find such a wisecrack funny, or seemingly /be/ in the mood for such a wisecrack if she were displayed to have much of a sense of humor to begin with as she gags and coughs, pushing up on her arms.
More time to deal with that dapper guy over there...

COMBATSYS: Varvara takes no action.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Varvara          1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\1          Wendigo
[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////                         ]
Mr.Burr          1/------=/=======|=======\-------\1         Cheshire


A loud crack can be heard as Burrs cane impacts the back of Cheshires neck. The lad lies still, whether he is alive or dead as yet unknown. His piercing eyes locking on to Wendigo once again, he begins to walk towards him, smiling grimly to himself.

Varvara is slammed through the floor, meaning she is no longer in the line of fire! While Burr is in no way a nice guy, it is very impolite to shoot ones own subordinates, particularly when they can still be of use! Pointing his cane as he approaches Wendigo from behind, he fires another beam like before, this time aimed at Wendigos expansive rear end, the attack ment as much to be flippant as to get his attention, even if the damage may not be great.

COMBATSYS: Wendigo blocks Mr.Burr's Cane Beam.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Varvara          1/-----==/=======|=======\=------\1          Wendigo
[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////                         ]
Mr.Burr          1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1         Cheshire


As it turned out, Mr. Burr didn't actually have to "go around" anywhere. After smashing through that floorboard, and going right through with Varvara, the big man was surprised when the back of his knees were caught on some tough stubborn floorboards that just refused to break. HIs heard underwater, along with much of his chest 'trapped' by that powerful undercurrent, the bounty hunter used that exceptionally powerful core strength to pull himself right out of that threatening water, and rolled over on his hands and knees, coughing and hacking up water while tearing that hat off his head, and ripping his shirt off to wipe his face. In the midst of this, he felt something tickle his keister, and looked up at nothing. He sneered and his eyes narrowed, and Mr. Burr would probably hear what sounded like a lion's low, deep growling before he spoke.

"Really? That really what ya went for, like some kinda twinkletoes?"

He suddenly sprang into action, using that powerful physicality to roll backwards with no warning, landing on his hands and lashing his legs out in a 'mule'-like kick, aimed for the midsection of his well-suited enemy, the midsection that was, hopefully, still messed up from the kid's double-barreled assault!

The Greek-Cypirot wrestler continues to struggle for breath or warmth, wrapping her arms around herself as she shudders and otherwise looks far less the imposing (...for her short height) thug she is! She crawls around for a while as she hacks up whatever else manages to try and hitch a ride down her windpipe, when Wendigo takes off his shirt.
...Well, sure, that's noteworthy for a lot of ladies, but it's more what follows after.
As Wendigo springs to action, her eyes widen as she realizes that yes, her boss is probably in danger and, well... she did kind of just meet him, didn't she? Why should she panic so for the well-being of someone who probably does not care so much about her in turn?
It's simple.
She only really cares for his well-being so much that he'll be paying her in food that she so desperately craves among all other things right now, but, for the moment in a pitched battle between lowlives, dregs, and criminals... that's enough for now in helping tip the scale in the well-dressed man's favor.
Is it...?
"Move!" She calls as she brings one of her (gross, damp) hands to the man's suit to try and help move him out of the way of the oncoming boot to (...or through?!) the gut. (He might not approve of the touching of that nice suit.)

COMBATSYS: Varvara assists Mr.Burr.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Varvara          1/-----==/=======|=======\=------\1          Wendigo
[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////                         ]
Mr.Burr          1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1         Cheshire


COMBATSYS: Mr.Burr blocks Wendigo's Strong Kick.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Varvara          1/-----==/=======|=======\=------\1          Wendigo
[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////                         ]
Mr.Burr          1/------=/=======|=======\-------\1         Cheshire


With a chuckle, Burr crosses his arms, the mule kick striking dead center of the 'X', and driving him back, his feet scooting along the wooden floor with loud snapping sounds as the wood gives a bit, sending harmless splinters in various directions!

When Varvara touches his shoulder, she doesn't realize it but it is what stops him from toppling over on his back!

"Why thank you, my dear!" is his response. The suit is already a bit of a mess, so he doesn't mind that at the moment. HOWEVER, this added brace of position could be to his advantage! With a quick draw of his sword, and careful aim, he uses her arm bracing him to stabilize himself for the dash he executes next, aiming to impact either under the shoulder blade, or if Wendigo has turned around already, the armpit!

COMBATSYS: Mr.Burr successfully hits Wendigo with Stab and TWIST.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Varvara          1/-----==/=======|=======\====---\1          Wendigo
[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////                         ]
Mr.Burr          0/-------/------=|=======\-------\1         Cheshire


After impact, Burr grins menacingly, then TWISTS the blade mercilessly before pulling it and out resheathing in a flash.

This jackass was quickly pissing him off, even as the khaki-dressed fighter put his biker boots firmly on the ground, stood up, and lumbered around. He faintly noted the goblin-looking chick when he thought she'd be flushed away, dimly impressed. But that was before Mr. Burr used this distraction to put that sword full on through his chest, Wendigo having moved unintentionally to make the attack even -worse- than just his armpit. That blade was between his ribcage, and though it couldn't be twisted very much, it was enough to saw through muscles and lungs just a little, just enough to cause the ivory terror to cough up blood and grimace.

But then, the bowler-hat wearing mastermind tried to pull that sword out of the mercenary. And that's when the big man flexed his muscles, locking and seizing that blade up, making sure it didn't go anywhere. Them all being that close to each other, Wendigo gave a very big, frightening grin, and blew them each a kiss.

"What, don't wanna stay fer breakfast after ya stick it in me? I don't think so, dirtbag!"

And that's when Wendigo would grab for each of them in each arm, and if this went well, he would smash both of their heads into each other, HARD. Not satisfied with that, he would smash them this way and that, grabbing a leg or arm from each and treating them like ragdolls, using that frightening speed of his to dangerous use!

Finally, he'd smash Varvara down on the ground, smash Mr. Burr down on top of her so they were 'dogpiled' at his feet, and then and only then would he suddenly YANK that sword fright out of his tattooed chest, blood squirting sickeningly at the sudden loss. Wendigo smirked, twirling it in his hand.

"Here, go on an' take yer shit, I don't want it!"

Wendigo would end this(possible) assault by jabbing the blade downward, not wanting to stop until it was sticking out the other side, right through the both of them...

COMBATSYS: Wendigo successfully hits Varvara with Vaya Con Whatever.

[                      \\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Varvara          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=------\-------\0          Wendigo
[             \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////                         ]
Mr.Burr          0/-------/------=|=======\-------\1         Cheshire


COMBATSYS: Mr.Burr endures Wendigo's Vaya Con Whatever.

[                      \\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Varvara          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=------\-------\0          Wendigo
[                       \\\\\\\  < >  /////                         ]
Mr.Burr          1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1         Cheshire


Varvara is grabbed by the bigger, badder man, all but ripped free of hiding behind Mr. Burr as she's banged into her current boss, into the walls, into the floor, into pieces of the ceiling that droop down and break free from the force of being slammed around that makes the entire structure shudder under each and every blow...
With each impact, she hollers out in pain and flails her limbs in some attempt to find something to grab onto as leverage to pull away. The closest she gets is a rotted piece of carpet that is quickly torn out as she continues to be slammed about everywhere, each numbing blast of blunt trauma met with a cold spray of rain from where new openings in the building are made.
Hurled to the ground in a daze, she doesn't quite register much of what goes on behind her as she groans, dazedly turning a head to her side. There's some kind of weight on her person she doesn't quite recognize...
Then there's a sharp pain in her back. Her eyes widen about as far as is physically possible for any human being to do - even when she tends to conduct herself in a way that is not particularly seen fitting for a civilized being to begin with - as a blood stain starts to grown on her back. It's easy to miss, considering how, uh, decorated by the elements her clothes tend to be.
"Gk... kgh... kf..." She babbles in shock the whole time.

COMBATSYS: Varvara takes no action.

[                     \\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////                  ]
Varvara          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=------\-------\0          Wendigo
[                       \\\\\\\  < >  /////                         ]
Mr.Burr          1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1         Cheshire


With a disturbed grin, Burr is grabbed just like Varvara. The two are smashed together several times, causing a hard daze. He regains his awareness just in time to see Wendigo move in on the pair with his own sword! In his prone position, he has little leverage to block, so does the opposite!

He holds his arms out wide, and laughs like the lunatic he deep down is!

Of course, he winces when the blade goes through him, and blood leaks from his mouth, but his laughter still continues a bit. He is made of tough stuff, though! As he pulls the blade out of them both, he throws out a kick aimed dead center for Wendigos groin!

COMBATSYS: Mr.Burr successfully hits Wendigo with Heavy Kick.

[                     \\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////                      ]
Varvara          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|====---\-------\0          Wendigo
[                      \\\\\\\\  <
Mr.Burr          1/------=/=======|


Wendigo stood, staring down at the maniacal Mr. Burr, and he just gave a satisfied looking grin, stroking his beard as he watched the sword clank away, but his face dropped when he patted at his waist and pockets to feel nothing.

"Damn...left my cigars on the boat. Beating up my nerd, ruining my nice fancy shirt, you two have put a real crink in my plants, but let me tell y-"

He doesn't tell them anything because a boot shoots up between his legs, smashing his fellas until they were almost two dimensional for a moment, and stars exploded between his eyes. He doubled over and, unfortunately for the duo underneath, he loses his balance and falls forward...unintentionally trying to add to the dogpile with a bodysplash, three hundred and ten pounds of dense muscle possibly coming down right where Mr. Burr's own sword hit!

"Ahhhh shit!"

COMBATSYS: Varvara blocks Wendigo's Aggressive Strike.

[                      \\\\\\\\  < >  /////////                     ]
Varvara          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|====---\-------\0          Wendigo
[                      \\\\\\\\  <
Mr.Burr          1/------=/=======|


There's another yelp as the sword that had managed to go through her back is torn out. It's not too deep of a wound. It doesn't appear like it may have punctured anything super important. This does not change that she has technically just been run through with a sword, and now well may be bathed in both Wendigo's and Mr. Burr's own blood.
Not that she's ever been particularly disturbed by the prospect of being covered in others' blood, considering how often her knuckles are drenched in the stuff by the time she's done beating up most people she does. She rolls onto her back best she can, gasping as her mouth hangs open in a fright that does not quite pass.
This may be because now she can see Wendigo falling upon her, even if the boss may still be atop her. It's hard to say at this point. She just knows someone's about to collapse on her.
Her right hand grasps at a protruding piece of flooring, shaking as she yanks at it. Her fist balls up so tightly that it no longer serves any point nor purpose as stability. It shatters into an innumerable amount of splinters under her grasp, the muscles of her forearm bulging to their utmost in just how tight she squeezes.
She pushes upwards against the falling man with her left, and doesn't appear to quite make it completely as her elbow slams against the floor, but she resists. She resists being crushed further under his weight, even when he's over twice hers. There is not a sign of angry, confident defiance.
She's starving. She's cold. She's hurt. She's deathly afraid for her life, as reflected when she tries to slide that hand up towards Wendigo's throat.
"Get off!" She demands, her voice colored in fear and insistence. The hand attempts to clasp against his throat with such force that the air visibly rushes out between the cracks of her fingers. Choking. She's trying to choke him.
It goes above and beyond a mere attempt to fight to dominate, to prove a point, or survive - if it were anyone who weren't the caliber of Wendigo, this sort of thing would probably (and almost certainly did, in the past) kill a man either by completely crushing their windpipe, snapping their neck, or some combination thereof.
Those fingers of hers aren't exactly dainty.

COMBATSYS: Mr.Burr blocks Wendigo's Aggressive Strike.

[                       \\\\\\\  < >  /////////                     ]
Varvara          1/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|====---\-------\0          Wendigo
[                       \\\\\\\  <
Mr.Burr          1/-----==/=======|


With Wendigo stunned a moment it would seem, Burr actually does something rational!

He tries to roll out of the way!

While only partially successful, the epic-sized albino lands on his arm and part of his side, though the iron braces under Burrs sleeves protect him from much of the damage. It is a small matter to simply slip out from under Wendigos prone form.

Standing a moment, Burr takes a moment to adjust his tie! Have to look dignified where able, after all. Seeing as his companion may have his attention, he lines up his strike and uses his sword to try to slice the muscles along Wendigos back with a single strike, to hopefully weaken his arm strength for awhile, making sure to try to nick one of the bigger nerves in the area along the way!

COMBATSYS: Varvara successfully hits Wendigo with Lion Crush.
- Power hit! -
# Disabling hit! #

[                       \\\\\\\  < >  /////                         ]
Varvara          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=====--\-------\0          Wendigo
[                        \\\\\\  <
Mr.Burr          0/-------/-----==|


COMBATSYS: Wendigo blocks Mr.Burr's Fly Splitter.
COMBATSYS: Wendigo refuses to stay down!

[                       \\\\\\\  < >  ////                          ]
Varvara          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|======-\-------\0          Wendigo
[                        \\\\\\  <
Mr.Burr          0/-------/-----==|


The big man barely caught his breath, trying to struggle up to his hands and knees while coughing, when that hand clutched his throat, the cartilege creakling loudly and his eyes bugging out of his head from the grip, his dark purple tongue lolling out of his head with that heavy, dog-like amount of drool pouring out. Though there would be no question normally over which of them was 'stronger', all that strength was useless in the position he was in. His big hand weakly clasped over hers, when he looked up...and instantly his body reacted in response to what he saw.

Did Mr. Burr ever see anyone 'flex' to protect themselves against a sword slash? Well he has now. And although that blade cut through skin and it cut muscles, that long bit of metal would suddenly clank and clatter away when it made contact with his ribs or shoulder blades, the way it might react if Burr was trying to slash at a rock! Those red eyes narrowed and glared, and instantly, Wendigo was ripping that grip off of his throat.

"..*gasp*....*wheeze*..."

He couldn't do anything with that throat of his crushed for the time being, but even without oxygen, even covered in blood, even with his muscles cut and his right hand grasping at nothing in pure reflex, it seemed the man had some tricks left up his sleeve!

Even when it seemed he had no sleeves. Where die he get all those knives from? Where was he hiding them? It didn't matter, as one after the other, they were thrown at Burr and Varvara, the big man actually desperate. And he wasn't normally the desperate kind!

COMBATSYS: Varvara fails to interrupt Knife Flurry from Wendigo with Fleeing Musician.

[                          \\\\  < >  ///                           ]
Varvara          1/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|======-\-------\0          Wendigo
[                        \\\\\\  <
Mr.Burr          0/-------/-----==|


Varvara tries to push up and out as to let herself out, one hand still firmly on his throat at that moment. She pushes her remarkable physical strength for her size and gender to the absolute limits to get him far enough off of her to regain movement of her legs. She sits up, scrambling and panicking as he brings that hand to the one that threatens to kill him then and there.
She exhales loudly as he finally rips that hand free of hers - heck, he might have crushed her wrist if he so much as tried to, but it's enough to allow her to get to a kneel as he starts to draw those knives. Her right hand, bleeding from grasping the piece of wood as she did but moments before, presses against the floor as her face tenses...
With a loud yell, she springs forward in a dive towards him, arms outstretched as if to pounce, as though she has a chance to bowl someone twice her size over, attempting to pre-empt that knife toss.
She passes to his side just as he's drawing back a knife to throw it at her, all but slicing her side open against it - a real error in timing and judgment. Given she has not eaten in some time, and that judgment in particular was never her strongest suit... (doesn't quite excuse the timing, mind!)
She tumbles across what little ground there is between Wendigo and whatever's left of the wall behind him, crumpling into a little heap where she clutches her bloodied side with a hiss, torn open fabric revealing nothing but another new wound and future scar for herself to bear as she visibly fights to stay conscious.

COMBATSYS: Mr.Burr blocks Wendigo's Knife Flurry.

[                          \\\\  < >  ///                           ]
Varvara          1/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|======-\-------\0          Wendigo
[                         \\\\\  <
Mr.Burr          0/-------/-----==|


%Knives? From hidden sleeves? This Wendigos resume is getting better all the time!

Yes, Burr IS considering this a resume in his own twisted way. After all, nothing like seeing if the help can be useful firsthand!

His left arm comes up to stop the knife, as he walks towards the pained Wendigo. Without missing a beat, he tips his hat to the giant fighter "It has been a MARVELOUS evening! I do hope you've enjoyed yourself, but we are due for dinner soon, and we don't want to miss our reservations!".

That said, he swings the iron-laden hat of his in the direction of Wendigos head, going for the knockout!

With polite style!

COMBATSYS: Wendigo blocks Mr.Burr's Destruction Derby.

[                          \\\\  < >  //                            ]
Varvara          1/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\-------\0          Wendigo
[                          \\\\  <
Mr.Burr          0/-------/----===|


Unfortunately he only threw two knives, but they seemed to do good enough damage to the girl, the afterthought he wasn't concerned about even as his throat continued to warp and visibly repair itself, bones and flesh audibly cracking and 'popping' in a move sickening sound. He watched Mr. Burr approach him, and as that hat came hurtling towards him, Wendigo...moved his head down, letting steel collide with his ultra-thick, ultra-hard skull.

Burr's poor hat, it was warped and bent and dented horribly, and Wendigo wasn't looking that much worse for wear except for maybe a bit of blood trickling from his nose. Suddenly he lashed out, that head of his snapping forward again and again and again, aiming headbutt after headbutt after headbutt for the man's skull and nose area. And he was probably gonna do more damage than a loaded bowler if he hit.

If he hit. And if this worked, he wouldn't stop there, he'd grab for the front of the man's suit and, with that good left arm, that POWERFUL arm, he'd throw the man backwards, aiming him for that Varvara sized hole in the hallway. He'd offer a quip, but the little trashy homeless girl has made that a pipe dream for the time being...

"Food." Varvara utters the word as though it gives her something like a hope - she's hungry, she's starving. She's been cut open in a number of places and probably needs immediate medical attention lest there be an infection (if there isn't one or more already). She props herself up a bit more at the idea. Dinner! Food. Not starving...
Then the big guy looks to put an end to the one who had promised her all the food, to stave off death by a lack of such.
"D-Don't," she sounds more pleading than - once again - an angry declaration as she springs to action about as well as someone so on the brink of passing out from blood loss can hope for as she comes in behind Wendigo, swinging her arms out rapid-fire - each one punch looking to poke, looking to prod, looking to just dig into him as her breathing grows heavier. She's winded, she's tired. That's... probably not a surprise, given the state of her health.
Yet, she keeps on anyway, bringing those arms in close and tight defensively for what good it might do her against any single one of his blows as she sweeps one leg out to cap off the one-two... well, more like one-hundred-one-hundred-one, one supposes, hiding her face behind her hands at the end of the sweep as if in the vain hopes this might make him stop moving, to not throw her present boss out of the picture...
But how long can she really stay on her feet like this?

COMBATSYS: Varvara blitzes into action and acts again!

[                            \\  < >  ///                           ]
Varvara          1/-======/=======|=======\-------\0          Wendigo
[                          \\\\  <
Mr.Burr          0/-------/----===|


COMBATSYS: Wendigo successfully hits Mr.Burr with Fierce Combo.

[                                < >  ///                           ]
Varvara          1/=======/=======|=======\-------\1          Wendigo
[                                <
Mr.Burr          1/-------/=======|


Well, THIS was unexpected! Burr i stunned!

Literally!

Wendigo headbutts him cleanly. Then again. Then again. Then AGAIN! This done, Burr has just enough time to realize he's been grabbed. He starts to reach for his sword when suddenly he's thrown backwards! As he goes, he grins madly, drawing and slashing in one lightening-fast final strike before out of range.

In the hole he goes, with a loud SPLASH!

COMBATSYS: Mr.Burr can no longer fight.

[                                < >  ///                           ]
Varvara          1/=======/=======|=======\-------\1          Wendigo


COMBATSYS: Wendigo Toughs Out Varvara's Binding Seeds!
# Disabling hit! #

[                                < >  //                            ]
Varvara          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\=------\1          Wendigo


COMBATSYS: Wendigo endures Varvara's Swollen Foot.

[                                < >                                ]
Varvara          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\===----\1          Wendigo


COMBATSYS: Wendigo endures Mr.Burr's Fly Splitter.

[                                < >                                ]
Varvara          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\=====--\1          Wendigo


As it so happened, Wendigo didn't even notice those punches to his back, to his ribs, to his spine, to that slash across his torso that was currently healing even despite Varvara's best efforts. In his haze and battle fury he didn't even know he was being attacked, and Varvara might regret hitting Wendigo's mighty bones so hard with her fists the next morning. He didn't even know she was there when he grabbed Mr. Burr's coat and flung him, although that sword slash got him right in the throat, and at the very same time as that happened, Varvara finally made herself known with that powerful sweeping kick, bringing him off his feet and smashing his head right through that hallway, his skull shattering a collection of rusted pipes that were sharp and jagged, and cutting. His eyes were rolling around, and blood was trickling and oozing out of that throat. This was not a good place for him. He wasn't sure even HE could remain standing for very long after this.

Unfortunately for Varvara, he had one last hurrah planned. He ripped that head of his right out of the floorboards, and Wendigo was barreling towards her at 70 MPH! Each step shaking and quaking the entire floor of that house, the ground cracking and giving way behind him, Cheshire behind him no doubt falling into the abyss even as Wendigo aimed one hell of a spear tackle, trying to smush the Pankration fighter's insides into toothpaste! Hit or miss, both of them would smash right through the windows, and fall outside so close to his yacht. So close to escape, but Wendigo wouldn't have any of it. He wanted blood before he went out!

COMBATSYS: Wendigo can no longer fight.

[                                <
Varvara          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|


COMBATSYS: Varvara dodges Wendigo's Ribcracker.

[                                <
Varvara          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|


It happens so fast.
Her meal ticket disappears with a smile, by all appearances taking that promise away with him. Her eyes widen from where she peeks out the side of her defensive stance. Going into the water, they can no longer be seen. The man she just swept off their legs...
It's a blur.
She can't quite comprehend the events of the next fraction of a second that sees him rushing for her at such close range at a speed no normal human being could ever achieve. Only the throb of pain from one of her knees at turning to the side, the feedback of pain as she bangs her hip against the floor, the sense of dizziness and losing her place as to where she stands in the world as she dives to the side by instinct.
Wendigo blazes by and throws himself out the window, just like that. To her recollection, one second he was there with his head through the ground, the other... no longer there. She doesn't look off to the window he escaped from to confirm that this is what happened. He's gone.
She's... alone. Bloodied, bleeding... weakened. She sits up, coughing as she presses against the back of the wall and clutches her side with the opposite hand while the wind and rain are all that's left to congratulate her.
She's exhausted. Her head lowers, hiding her tired, dull eyes from everything. Her breath is increasingly irregular with every passing moment as spasms of pain shoot through her body. Shuddering, she brings her one free hand up to look at it. Blood. Blood from people she hurt. She hurts a lot of people because that's how things work in her life. She's a fighter. She hurts people so that she can make enough to eat. To survive.
In recent times, she has hurt a lot of people coming here, and to what end? She's still starving. She's injured. There's no safety net in sight, just the uncaring fury of nature that's poised to wash all of Metro City away... the cold, chilling air that nips at her overly developed muscles that are useless against the sensation and overall environment. Vulnerable. She feels entirely helpless.
For all she's done to ensure she'd be strong in a lifestyle she assumed was her only way forward... there is absolutely nothing separating her from the helpless citizens of Metro City, many who have been swept away, many who have fled the city entirely... some... of whom are probably still trapped, feeling the same way she does.
No real friends other than people who see her as a rabid attack dog (which she kind of is, she makes no illusions of being anything else), no comfy place of stability to retreat to... nothing. She gasps a few times.
Sobbing? She's too dehydrated to produce tears.
She's too weak from hunger to want to throw another punch or two like that.
She's probably moments away from bleeding out into unconsciousness, and possibly even her death. Cold, weak, alone, and no ability to really say she could do anything for herself. The one thing she could pride herself on, at long last, has proven that it could not bring her a fruitful life.
Yet, there'd be no going back. Even in a best case scenario... who around here would be left to offer her work, let alone actually have food? Who'd give her the time of day...? Even if one Mr. Burr were to appear again and reassure her, even if Wendigo were to suddenly decide to invite her on that awesome yacht and have a nice evening out...
The damage, as it were, on an incredibly rare moment of personal introspection, is done.
What is there left for her to do...?

COMBATSYS: Varvara takes no action.

[                                <
Varvara          2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|

Log created on 21:35:55 08/31/2014 by Varvara, and last modified on 03:22:53 09/03/2014.