Sewers

Dropping in from a man hole, Peppa would flip onto a small curb next to the running waste. This was not Peppa's preferred area, in fact for such a highly class as himself-if he was to come across a bumb while in the sewer, many people would be shocked.

His allies would come soon enough, he knew it.

Using the force to alter his vision, Peppa would be looking at everything through infa red while he walked. The vampire did not need to breathe-so he really didn't even sense the stench. The jedi would do well in this area perhaps.

Wasn't his type of place still.

Walking against his cane he'd whistle. He wore all the combat items he would need, sith gloves and boots, lightsabre. What more would he need? Some people liked utlity belts but Peppa didn't really need one, he was resourceful as it is.

The imagination in hsi mind was giving him devious thoughts for this human wasteland.

He knew his allies would come soon, they were dpendable. Surely enough they had thought of a few stikers. There were manyt hings each other could do to help one another out.

Peppa than stopped at a large interesection, waiting for his team mates before entering any type of fight. THey had to come up with a strategy still. Or perhaps they'll each pick whoever strikes there fancy.

Everything here except for the echo's completly sucked here, but the possibilities of the things Sieg could pull off in such cramped spaces put a smirk to his face. His minds eye made the darkness of the area irrelevent. Sieg had come through another man hole about a block back, but upon arrival he had felt peppa's spirit somewhere in the dank underground of the sewer.

So Sieg began his treck, after stuffing his jumpsuit pants into his shoes to keep the water out. The rats woudnt bite through shoes that bullets coudnt pierce but he felt them move, in fact...Sieg felt every putrid life form that surrounded him. They werent much different from humans, they got by whatever way they could; the nutrience in this place were immense because of the high amount of bacteria.

Siegs deep yet smooth voice gained a sence of majesty as it called out to Peppa, Siegs sihoullete could only be seen despite his very bright clothing. Sieg was wearing his yellow god outfit, armed with only his 'Special Escrima sticks' and his Infestor knives inside of his open jacket. It should have been cold down here, especially sence the only thing SIeg had worn under his GOD jacket was a black underarmor shirt that revealed and conformed to Siegs muscular form. "Heh, This doesnt seem like your kind of place either my friend."

His desert yellow orbs seemed to glow in the dark tunnel, grasping the darkness before him...Piercing through it as if it was nothing. Siegs spiritual presnce seemed to even put the rats at bay, they no longer nibbled at his feet knowing that this was niether food or a threat. His spirit placed a feeling of serenity and peace around the disgusting area. Peppa would feel his advent, Peppa would know that his soldier...His friend had arrived.

His stride was graceful, there was an equal interval of time between each step. His hands swayed gently at his side in conjunction with the movement of his legs. Sieg would stop his stride within 5 feet of peppa..."So you ready..."

The white teeth that were shown through his grinn seemed to make the whole nasty area seem clean again.

<<

Had to eat than crap

>

Peppa could feel Sieg coming. The force was sensed in many ways, some people it resembled a bee hive-others as shatterpoints between each individual. For Peppa it was much like the old jedi master "obi-wan kenobi". He felt as if he was a part of everything.

Each and ever mice, he was a part of, the bow, his lightsabre, even siegs g.o.d. armor, and even if you're thinking about it-even lennes short skirt. He felt as if he was a part of everything at the same time being himself.

Turning to Sieg, he'd smirk widely.

A succesful business owner and a dojo runner-especially one who dresses in as much as white as I do-most certainly can't last long in here. I'm not saying I can't take it, but I definatly don't like it. Than again with that little ride you brought earlier certainly doesn't make you seem the type to go here.

He'd than nod at Lenne and Kitsune before stretching. Allowing the blood to flow through his muscles while he grinned. This was the beginning of the entire thing as he saw it. Everything up untill this poitn really was a prologue, even this was just a prologue.

These opponents didn't look too special.

I'm ready any time, especially with my friends here. I've known you for almost a year now Sieg, I do believe I can trust my life on you'r hands-even if this isn't a death match. I believe everybodys ready at that, this is not a difficult match at all. I've overviwed the opponents, nobody i've known.

Peppa wasn't tring to be cocky, ti was just the truth. And Pepap got around alot, there were many people who knew him and more than he knew of. He spent his time traveling through the force most of the time, studying the outside.

True he did avoid the FFA lands most of the time.

That being said, i'll allow you two to pick you'r opponents, i'll grab whoever is left. As for Lenne, you really didn't have to show up-we might be able to use you for strikers but yeah, hope you don't mind the sewer.

Peppa Clause Wrote:

<<

Had to eat than crap

>

Peppa could feel Sieg coming. The force was sensed in many ways, some people it resembled a bee hive-others as shatterpoints between each individual. For Peppa it was much like the old jedi master "obi-wan kenobi". He felt as if he was a part of everything.

Each and ever mice, he was a part of, the bow, his lightsabre, even siegs g.o.d. armor, and even if you're thinking about it-even lennes short skirt. He felt as if he was a part of everything at the same time being himself.

Turning to Sieg, he'd smirk widely.

A succesful business owner and a dojo runner-especially one who dresses in as much as white as I do-most certainly can't last long in here. I'm not saying I can't take it, but I definatly don't like it. Than again with that little ride you brought earlier certainly doesn't make you seem the type to go here.

He'd than nod at Lenne and Kitsune before stretching. Allowing the blood to flow through his muscles while he grinned. This was the beginning of the entire thing as he saw it. Everything up untill this poitn really was a prologue, even this was just a prologue.

These opponents didn't look too special.

I'm ready any time, especially with my friends here. I've known you for almost a year now Sieg, I do believe I can trust my life on you'r hands-even if this isn't a death match. I believe everybodys ready at that, this is not a difficult match at all. I've overviwed the opponents, nobody i've known.

Peppa wasn't tring to be cocky, ti was just the truth. And Pepap got around alot, there were many people who knew him and more than he knew of. He spent his time traveling through the force most of the time, studying the outside.

True he did avoid the FFA lands most of the time.

That being said, i'll allow you two to pick you'r opponents, i'll grab whoever is left. As for Lenne, you really didn't have to show up-we might be able to use you for strikers but yeah, hope you don't mind the sewer.

"These Sewers..."

, Sieg said as he panned his eyes around. Feeling everything about him, as peppa did. Siegs minds eye gave him the same capabilities. His spiritual presence seemed to conform to his surroundings, assimilating to everything about him; even the souls of his friends and each creature within the sewer. His spirit sought to know them as he knew himself. Siegs spirit and Peppa's force seemed to produce constructive interference...There respective abilitys went together like vanilla cream and chocalate cookies. "I can feel my soul attempting to adapt with it, my mind and body shall follow. I can speed up the process through meditation. Ill be ok, depending on how fast our opponents arrives. My heart beats with anticipation...

Lenne, Kichiro...I promise this will be fun...

I as Peppa, trust each of you with my lives. I know each of you will give the team your all. "

Sieg then went to one of the curved walls, and would lean on it; crossing his arms in front of his muscular chest. His eyes would close as he would know see with his minds eye. His breathing became focused and his mind became clear like a pool of clear water, reflecting off of everything both internal and external. Siegs spirit and minds came to analyze everything around him and everything within him, excorsizing all doubt as if it were a demon. Each fight Sieg had ever had was reviewed and all the lessons he learned were fresh in his mind. His tan tein opened and his mind body and spirit became perfectly aligned. Energy from each chakra flowed throughout his miridians and what he saw through his minds eye became crystal clear.

Siegs spiritual presence spread throughout the entire sewer. It was like a pestilence of serenity and purity, the rats began to gather acting off of there simple minds and instincts. There spirits had the most domain over them. There red eyes could be seen peering out of the water, watching Sieg as if he was some bringer of the light...or an escape from the darkness they had known in there lives sence there beggining.

Siegs senses adapted to the area, bacteria that had been flowing into his noes was redirected by his dense spiritual aura. The Sewer lost all of its scent. Siegs feet began to raise from beneath the water and Sieg began to Stand on the water. Sieg however was not trying to do better than a certain someone as he knew he could never be as great as that.

Siegs eyes then opened. He didnt have to meditate as long as he needed too, probrably only 10 minutes had passed. He stood up regularly. His spiritual presence closed in around his body, becoming more dense and Siegs feet fell back through the water. He could however begin to stand above water at any time, as his tan tein would stay outstreched until this whole ordeal was finished...For that was the power of Siegs will.

"Well I guess if we get hungry enough we can just go and get something to eat. Its not like 'They' havnt kept us waiting.", Sieg said with a smirk as he stood leaning on the wall.

Yet another switch?

Kichiro looks from Peppa to Sieg to Lenne, and his eyes slowly begin to melt to a light blue. The Chaos that he fueled off of could not be kept with such friends. It was not possible for him, and so he felt the power within hims slowly draining. He made up his mind for one final change, back to familiarity without the stress of serving a goddess.

'Whoosh!' He disappeared from the noisy flames below and dropped the Chaos Bow. His rapier and main gauche, all his chaos weapons fell from him as he used the last of his power to blast through a manhole and into the fresh air of the street.

His boots made the sound of lions roaring as he rushed too a... Phone Booth. There he entered and came out with a different set of weapons and a new set of abilities altogether. His blood had adapoted to a Shadow Fox to match his old assassin like abilities, and his weapons matched as they appeared from the abyssal phone booth.

Slowly he entered back into the sewers, his spot on the bridge. A changed Kitsune for the last time... hopefully.

Name: Kichiro Kitsune

Age: 118

Gender: male

Race : Shadow Fox Demon

Style: Assassin

Unique Abilities or Skills:

Unique Abilities or Skills:

Windwalk: Displaces weight and becomes light enough to move on air.

Ghostwalk: Completely silent while moving, vibrations in air are hidden in small rifts.

Invisibility: Resonating frequencies on all planes dim to an undetectable level, barely moving. Can only move slow to retain this. Also covers weapons.

Spiderwalk: Can climb vertical surfaces, smoother than marble.

Energy Shift: All energies are bended by demonic blood to react to energies being thrown at the Shadow Fox. This shift can be placed over items touching his skin or via object touching his skin.

Shadow Senses: The faintest frequencies are detected by thier disturbances in the atmophere, by the shadows that they cause. His eyes adjust to match the target's energies by a combination of his senses and the ability to energy shift.

Weapons: All are made of mythril. Extremely light, enchanted strong silver. This set is carried on him and will vanish into the fifth bag of holding when the appropriate words in Hellish are spoken.

Two wakazashis over shoulders. Sheathes are Syrian steel and over lap tanto sheaths.

Two tantos over lower back. Sheathes are Syrian steel. Tantos are tipped in vorpal, which cuts the very bnods of molecules.

48 Shaolin Darts dragon scaled from belt up abdomen and chest.

-12 fire, 12 lightning, 12 ice, 12 cobra venom w/ diamond tips

2 over-under blade ejectors on each arm.

6 shuriken, with 3 on each arm.

1 katana with liquid silver nitrate channeld on left hip.

1 absorbtion dagger on right hip.

Weapons: The Bags of holding are here to stay.

Weapon set 1: The standard set he used to walk around in.

Death'sBane is in a hip sheath on his right side. This named sword is a coldsteel Katana with a channel of liquid silver nitrate running along it. The coldsteel is made of magical contructs, layered up layers. The coldsteel is sharp as diamond, and leaves wounds permenant. Only divine magic can counter it. The liquid silver nitrate is fueled by a reservoir of holding in the mid of the blade. It is a metal that attaches to normal blood cells and freezes them, turning them into a silver like substance and expanding as the nitrate reacts with oxygen. It has a more detrimental effect on lycans, undead, and other unnatural species. It will disolve their blood and attach to the tissues within the body, doing the same.

Tystalol is in a hip sheath on his left side. This named sword is a mythril wakazashi. It's blade is light, and it has the ability to puncture through most anything.

Dagger Bracers are hidden on each arm beneath sleaves of the tux. They have two ejectable throwing daggers in each. They are mythril, diamond tipped, and coated in cobra venom. They are activated by the appropriate flick of the wrist.

Shuriken sleaves are behind the bracers, and carry three each. These are also coated in cobra venom.

Throwing daggers line the inside of the tux, with 12 on each side. 4 rows of three going down. A total of 24 here. Also, coated in cobra venom.

Elementalist long daggers are also equiped in the rows of normal daggers. Their are four. One ignites in flame after leaving the hand, another turns to lightning, another turns to ice and freezes what it hits, and the other is blank. The blank is absorbtion and will absorb elemental energy. It also absorbs energy that keeps beings awake, and if it touches a person it will keep them unconcious for as long as they hold or touch its blade.

Tantos are sheathed on his lower back, each having it's hilt come just out above the hip. These are mythril with a vorpal tip to slice through the very molecules of armor and a person. It's penetration is quite literally infinite.

Garlic Balls, smelling salts, and tuning forks are improv weapons.

Weapon set 2: This is used when modern tech is broken out.

Duel 9m Barrettas lay in holsters at his sides. They are always equipped with standard 7rd clips. His tux is lined with 4 15round clips on either side (that's 8 total). A swip of the gun can lock and load. 2 30round clips are at his thighs.

2 of the 15round clips are filled with liquidsilver nitrate and tipped with diamond.

2 of the 15round clips are teflon coated, and are good for punching through kevalr with ease.

2 of the 15round clips are tipped with crystal that carries an electrical shock to whatever it hits.

2 of the 15round clips are filled with tracer rounds. 1 of every 3 bullets is coated in a powder of white poshporus that ignites when it hits oxygen. White poshporus is an extremely hot acid fire.

2 of the 30rounds clips are filled with manstopper rounds. They have a steel rod though them, and hallow point. It expands and rips organs as it goes in the body.

2 Frag grenades around belt

2 Smoke grenades around belt

1 Clustur bomb made of metal ball-bearings stored on back.

Weapon set 3: This is used when future tech is broken out.

Two Anti-Particle Beam rifles are placed with one on each side within the tux. They are powered by a crystal that takes in ethereal energy, and uses it to spin particles within the diamond coated interior the opposite direction. These anti-particles are than shot out up to a range of 15meters. This is adjusted by dials on side of the weapon.

Weapon set 4: This is used purely for sparring.

2 Tonfas of wood with mythril cores.

Weapon set 5: Misceleneous objects he has collected in Rp.

Equip:

Cape of Deflection: Remodeled with a dark aura that casts utter darkness on its back, and lines the insides with a deep crimson.

Boots of Noise enchantment: Directed by the will of the chaos kitsune, they will make whatever noise he wishes.

Dark Tux of Shadows: It regulates the Shadow Fox Demon's body temperature while dimming his frequencies to be harder to spot. These frequencies include every energy signal he emits, from spiritual to heat.

Dark Pants of Reflex: These pants are black and carry an enchantment that speed the kitsune's reflexes to nearly 400m/s in reaction time. These increase his abilities with instinct and will not allow him to run or speed up his attacks, purely reflex.

Appearance: 6'2" and clothed in black. A dark tuxedo and dark pants are now his attire, along with a new cape of deflection. The metals blur to a crimson red on the inside of it and pure darkness behind him. His black boots will make no noise, or as much noise as he wishes with thier enchantment. His hair is black as the rest of his appearance.

Personality: Stoic and Neutral

Strength: Demonic Strength, speed, and stealth.

Weakness: Lack of armor and psionic abilities.

Short bio: Kichiro Kitsune was a high monk that served the greatest light for a long amount of time. Being good has its toll when you are in a world of self-motivated beings and evil. People that surrounded the old high monk's life drove him to a point where he could no longer handle internal pain. Using a dagger that was given as a sign of friendship, he killed himself.

Now he is back. His wife called out too his soul along with some other friends. Asura brought him back before her, but he was wild with insanity. The death had drove him nearly insane, and he spat at Asura in rage. He belived it was her that had failed him in his greatest need, and so she took away the elven blood she had gifted him. And reverted him back to his demondin blood.

The result was not evil though, but chaos. He had become a chaos demon. Good and evil slammed together in a natural state. Now he thrives on the chaos that surrounds his life, and is no longer against the world of evil. He walks on both sides and dances in the middle in a beautiful state of chaos.

--->> The Chaos was quickly quelled by the kitsune's friends and the result was neutrality, and a return to familiar weapons. The Choas Demon's blood slowly wafted off and was replaced by Shadow Fox blood, an adaption to the style and personality of Kichiro.

Sieg was just about to enter a meditative sleep with the smell no longer bothering him the silence that was in abundance down here was kind of pleasing to him. Sieg would turn his head to speak to peppa and respond to his comment. Sieg, with his spirit feeling and knowing all the things around him felt the purification of the rats. It made no difference to Sieg, as he didnt just scare the rats. There minds were simple an that made it much easier for Sieg to communciate with them by there spirits.

They ran by instinct and because of that, Sieg was a welcomed presence down here. Like a sort of friendly ghost, sieg woudnt force the rats to like him or to be commanded by him...but they would want to help Sieg because of there greatfulness for his presence. Sieg woudnt hurt them, for there souls were not enemys. The simple pleasure they gained from Sieg being around him was enough to befriend him. "They look at me...not out of fear but with gratitude. They look at you the same way miracle worker..Use your force to filter out the bacteria and things in the air that cause the stench."

Siegs spirit seemed to do this automatically as his spirit expressed his will which was too adapt to the situation. Siegs grin widened as he saw the other rat dance around on peppa. Peppa was correct, they were very cute."Heh, sure can."

Sieg stood up straight after he said that, returning his gaze forward. His hands which were still at his side began to outstrech his strong fingers, feeling out the new set of MMA gloves that Sieg had bought recently. These were a fresh pair, tested true and comfertable. Sieg would speak again in a calm tone,"When do you think the team will arrive? or better yet...tell me what you know of them.". The information Peppa could devulge woudnt mean much to Sieg, because Sieg wasnt going to simply trust the information that peppa would give him despite the fact that he trusted his friend with his life. If he could, he would feel out his opponent for himself as he never expected anything from anyone. Sieg mearly asked to pass the time and to make conversation.

Siegs expression would not change as he felt a bit of life suddenly flutter away like a dead light bulb who recently lost its power. Sieg didnt see any purpose in harming these creatures and would have rather them be left alone; however his friend must have had a good reason for taking one of them out. Sieg knew that this creatures could assist him in his battle, but still that was not why he hadnt started killing each one of them off before the match. SIeg had a sort of respect for life...but he also respected his friends decisions enough to not disagree with them unless they severly effected him.

Though Sieg did begin to wonder, why did he do that. Surely kichiro knew that these creatures and many other factors of this invironment could be used. Simply the way the place was shaped, everything about it could be used effectively, even the life that dwelled within. Sieg would speak nothing of it yet, for his words would reveal his intentions regarding the battle...

who knows who could be listening.

((Sorry for the wait, but it should be expected during Christmas/New Years. Anyway, Alex's bio can be found here and Jasex's can be found here. Anthony is sick at the moment, so whether or not he shows up is still in the air. One thing to remember about Jasex is that here he has full use of his abilities. The limits described i nthe link do not apply, given that they are forum specific.))

They made no effort to hide themselves as they strode along the narrow cement walkway on one side of the flowing sewage. The pair had split up from the other members of their team, the ones who might or might not make it to this fight, had taken off on their own with shouted assurances. Each could hold his own and together... they were unstoppable. Each was capable of moving at superhuman speeds, each able to hold their own against impossible odds. Such abilities breed confidence that, if not tempered by training and experience, generate overconfidence. Both men were forces of nature, masters of their respective element and then some.

And neither were human.

One rose nearly an inch above the other, his head covered in a mass of small spikes that shifted like grass with each step. Brown eyes gleamed brightly even in the dim light, swiveling back and forth nsearch of prey. A pair of triangular ears swiveled in tandem with the man's eyes, mounted higher on his head than "normal" ears and covered in a mixture of black and white fur. Fox ears. These ears were capped with a pair of modified "ear bud" style headphones, designed not to slip out during even the most intense of motions. But the man could obviously still hear, could actually hear quite well as a scurrying rat drew his expectant gaze to his right side. A pair of tails, coated in black fur and tipped with white, lashed irritably as the pair continued down the tunnel. The man... no, the kitsune glanced at his partner and sighed, his voice irritable. "Are you sure they said 'sewers' and not, like, 'spires,' or some such? We haven't seen anyone for an hour."

The shorter of the two laughed, a clear and almost musical sound. He wore a trenchcoat, one that was fastened shut around an oddly streamlined body. A buzz-cut of red hair topped his head and emerald eyes flashed brilliantly in the low light of the sewer as cloth shoes, metal soles sewn into their bottoms, tapped against the cement. The man was an elf, proven by the sharp point his ears curved into. But more importantly... the man had no arms. Where his shoulders should have begun there was nothing, the martial artist's robe he wore ending abrubtly. Over this, between the trenchcoat and the gi, the elf had somehow strapped on a complicated leather harness that crossed his chest multiple times for seemingly no purpose. However it had one, it most definatly had a reason for being there. Hidden by the trenchcoat were six weapons, three pairs with one on either side of his body. They hung parralel to his torso, thus leaving no bulge or indentifiable mark. Two curved daggers, two scimitars, and two katanas hung by leather thongs from this harness, seemingly unable to be drawn by the Elf himself. Straight along the red-head's back, to the left of his spine, rested a massive broadsword. The sword's hilt gleamed of gold, the sheath battered leather. But how could the Elf use so many weapons? Only time would tell.

"I'm sure, Alex. And it hasn't been an hour. It's been maybe fifty minutes."

"Same thing."

"Hush. We're here."

The pair strode out into the large intersection from the opposite side, directly across from Peppa, Sieg, and Kichiro. However whatever radar, whatever senses they might have would only pick up the elf. The taller Kitsune would be invisible for one reason: He was a pure Earth Elemental. As such he would seem no different on any sense, chi or even Force, than perhaps the bricks along the sewer wall. The Elf would feel like just that: an Elf. If only they could sense what he was capable of.

Alex glanced at Jasex, grinning slightly. "This them?"

"Yes."

"And... thisi s my territory, yes?"

"Indeed."

"Goody."

It was a trick Alex used to bring out his best abilities, the mention of territory. Being a fox instilled him with a territorial sense that riveled that of even the fiercest lion. The further the battle went on, the further each intruder went unpunished, the angrier he would get. And the angrier he got, the more powerful he got. The kitsune was never one to pull his punches, something the Elf beside him chuckled at.

For where was the fun if not in toying with the victims?

((Sorry fellas, now with the Flu semi conquered we can get this party started.))

Clunk, hissss, clunk, hissss, clunk, hissss. This sound shook the cement ground of the sewers which the five beings already stood on. These approaching sounds would be recognized as footfalls by the elf and kitsune, to the others, they may have sounded like somthing else. Moments later, two large golden orbs could be seen shining in the distance, they seemed to float about nine feet above the ground. And soon after these two orbs appeared, so did the rest of their owner. Drake loomed over his two team mates as he stepped into a small patch of light, the light seemed to grow more intense when it touchedhim and seemed to illuminate the entire area better.

Drake looked at his opponent to be, then to his friends, and then back again. He felt very much out of place as he gazed upon them all, they seemed so quick and nible in comparison to his own body, for you see, Drake was a Warforged. A nine foot tall one and a half ton of block of magical muscle and plate steel. His pneumatic legs let off a thin jet of wistleing steam as he cam to a halt behind his friends, his red and gold armor shining magnificantly in the dim light. In his hands he held aloft a giant spear, its shaft made of some type of ebony metal was ten feet long, the head was three feet long and had both cutting edge and piercing point, a thick crimson and gold linked chain kept it attached to his body.

Drake still stared at his opponent to be as he spoke to his friends in a low voice that came from his chest like a caged avalanche. "Sorry I'm late, Anthony fell ill, he should be better soon though." He then tore his golden gaze away from his opponents, his face hidde by his plate armors helmed visor, and spoke again. "Where do y'all want me to be?"

LAME!

Well, since nothing actually happened until now, I'm adding a 2-3 day extension on the time limit for this fight because it'd be retarded to put the future of the teams in the hands of a single fight, which would probably only last 8 posts or so on either side if everyone is present.

So, extension added. Plus, the judges have to do the pointing anyways for all the other finished fights.

((This fight has a few days extension. But due to this, there wont be a rest period between matches for the victors since the time is extended and then judging will be taking place during those times and wont pause to do an additional judgement.))

What? No "follow me"'s? Had I not known any better, I'd have thought you ditched me Sieg.

The words would echo throught the tunnels of the sewer as Peppa paced himself. He could achieve speeds that rivaled Siegs or any of the others due to his accelerated vampirism and jedi teachings. At times he felt the flash didn't have anything on him.

Than he remembered that the comicbook hero could achieve the speed of light while Peppa could break but sound. Not that he would be really using that, he preferred to have fun with his matches.

Which would be exhibited here.

Wearing the same clothes asbefore, he would brush himself off as he reached the opponents. Looking over, truth be told, he did not know which was the leader or not. Peppa yet was sure to make it known that he was the leader of this team.

For speaking purposes ofcourse, he felt inferior to Sieg often times.

Alright we have two elementals, a kitsune and a elf-two growing races that i've noticed. Can't say i've had the pleasure of seeing many elfs.........and I'm not goona even begin to guess what the big fellow is. I'm Peppa Clause, a jedi knight, yes a jedi-I know you're thinking about laughing. Nonetheless, pick who you favor-I don't care. As long as my team mates are happy.

Peppa seemed to be in a talkative mood.

<<

Ehhh thougth Kichiro told you

Kichiros out

Drama killed him

>

Drake gave an unidentifiable grunt that came from his chest as 'Peppa' spoke. He had no idea what a 'Jedi knight' was, but figured that since he was the leader of the other group, it must be somthing of importance. Drake looked at Alex and jerked his head in 'Peppa's' direction, as if to ask 'You want him?'. He looked at the girl who had quite a few swords on her skinny form, the metal ofthe blades more than likely out weighed her, Drake found this rather comical, but kept that to himself. He placed a hand on Jasex's shoulder. "Would you mind entertaining the lady?" He asked without averting his eyes.

This left one, only one. Drake fixed Sieg with his golden flash light like stare and smiled under his visor. His meta mechanical body hummed as he took a step forward and bowed to all three of them, the metal wing decorations of his helmet scraping the ceiling and showering those below him in sparks as he did so. He then drew out that long 13 foot long spear, disconnected the chain from its shaft, an without reall trying, stabbed it into the concrete wall behind him.

Drake then turned to his team mates and nodded to each of them. He spoke quickly so that the fight could commence, "The best of luck to us all. Kepp your eye on the prize..." The time was right. The warforged dragoon then looked at his opponents, two words echoing in his head: Let's rock.

((I am...))

((Blah, oh well. If we're still able to participate on a later day contact me.))

You know...places this dark. Are really creepy when your a lonely sales merchant out on his own. It wouldn't be long until every drip and drop of water in the foul depths echoed and changed into horrifying sounds.

Then it would come.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Closer and closer...the man could feel a cold shiver run down his spine.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Then something loomed out of the gloom, something with horrific orange red and yellow eyes, something that was...

Tapping the pipes?! If the seller had actually stayed and not run off in a horrified panic, he would have heard muttering as well.

"Here? Or here maybe...Damn, I know there are a couple 'round here somewhere..." Thousands of tiny lights sprung to life, zipping about like live things.

"ALRIGHT YOU LOT, SPREAD OUT AND FIND THEM, BUT look, stay away from the gas mains and water, alright? Last thing we need is for this place to go up. There'll be two bags of candy in it for you if you keep them open for me."

And with that, the first participant calmly staked his claim on one of the only dry patches in the place.

From his cieling vantage point, a lonely cockroach watches the conversing going on below him, his antennae twitching inquisitively.

The poor little man gulped. Audibly.

Sweat ran all over his face.

"Ah-h...kay...well. A p-p-problem..? Me...?? Lemme think ab..bout it..."

In this moment relaxed steps could be heard coming from the opposite direction and he shot around, nearly toppling over his own feet.

Oh no. Holy Christ...there're more of him...this is - the end...

Then, someone spoke. A woman's voice, obviously. But it was a foreign language, reminding of gurgling water or the whisper of the wind. A few seconds later, Lucind appeard in the dim light of the fighting area, again clad in a dark trenchcoat, carrying a messenger bag. She tilted her head and looked at the man, then at Sun, back at the man - and suddenly showed a similar grin like Sun did. "Yo."

Right. This was enough. The little, clumsy man now shook even harder, if that was possible. His mouth dropped open but only a few incoherent sounds came over his lips before...he fainted.

"What the...?"

The Half-Siren cocked a brow.

Leaning over the unconscious man to check his vitals - how should they explain it to the judges if he suffered from a heart attack right now? - Lucind shrugged.

"You know, woke up this morning, watched out of the window and thought to myself: It's such a lovely day - why not go for a walk in the sewers?"

Some soft slaps on the man's cheeks made him open his eyes.

She stood up and walked over to the red haired fighter.

"And you? Smart boy got lost or are you up to something?"

Her chuckling echoed off of the walls. "Aww please, don't worry. - You're right, though, until now you were usually working as my life guard when it came to combat situations."

She stretched and yawned.

"So, two attractive persons with funny eyes and ears come together on such a...lovely place," she sniffed and winked,"to beat the s**t out of each other. Sounds like serious fun."

Lucind chuckled again. "I mean..." She took a hair-clip out of the bag to fix a loose strand.

"We're both no saints, right?" The Half-Siren raised her head and for a second her amber eyes meeting his seemed to be void of all emotions, before her lips curled into another amused smile.

*Ra'kar held her sleeve over her nose as she entered the main tunnel of the sewers. She held the other out in front of her, a small ball of golden flame resting in her palm and illuminating her path as she follows the maze of tunnels to the designated fight zone.

Who the HELL decided to have people fight in a place like THIS?! The smell alone was revolting... but can you imagine being thrown in raw SEWAGE?! Ewwwww!!

The demoness coughed and shuddered at the thought... If any of THAT got on her... She was gunna' flip. She felt like she should be wearing a Hazmat suite, not her battle kimono.

Shrugging her shoulder to adjust the strap of her gymbag she heads towards two voices that she recognizes as Sunstrike's and Lucind's.

She couldn't wait for this one to be over. Already she was pining for the hot shower in her hotel room.

She wouldn't be surprised if they didn't get many spectators down here. Who would willingly subject themselves to such an atmosphere? >_<;; Yet already, there were camera crews setting up to film the match. The demoness shook her head and muttered.*

"Couldn't pay me enough... well. Unless you're talking three hundred and fifty grand..."

smirking she rounded the corner to see Lu and Sunstrike as she had predicted. So this would be it. They were facing off against GLACIER. She had seen their match on TV. Marvelous thing about all the media coverage HoH was recieving. You didn't HAVE to be everywhere to still know what was happening with all the other teams.

'Morning my sewage slugging compadres!"

A small torteshell kitten scampered quickly through the maze of tunnels that made up the sewer, the tinkling silver bell tied around her neck with a small piece of purple ribbon jingling merrily and announcing her arrival to the other opponents. She rubbed up against Sunstrike's ankles with a purr, casting the occassional glare up at Ra'kar the way only cats can when they're annoyed at someone.

Lucind sighed inwardly and her look at Sun became somewhat apologizing. She knew this was going to happen: Even before HoH had started, Ra'kar had mentioned how urgently she wanted to meet Vahn in the fighting area. The Half-Siren herself was pretty fine with fighting Sun, in fact, she was looking forward to it. But there was no need to have emphatic Siren blood in your veins to know the man would be everything but fine with the situation.

She noticed little Juuni showing up and indicated with a subtle gesture that, despite the given background, it wasn't appropiate to show such a behaviour in front of the media. There were already enough unwanted questions going around.

"Sun..." The woman's facial expression was contrary to the seriousness of this scene when she quietly adressed the red head, keeping an ear on the journalists. "They know what they're doing."

Ra'kar brushed her bangs out of her eyes and shrugged nonchalantly as she mockingly saluted Sunstrike. Her golden eyes flashing as if lit from within by some unseen and luminous flame.

"If fighting is hazardous to his health he should not have entered the tournament and willingly put himself in harm's way. Or is it... that you do not believe your Hero can win?"

*She smiles sardonically as the temperatures spike. If he was trying to intimidate her it wasn't working. It was just making the dank sewers a more comfortable place for her.

Ra'kar glances down at the kitten, noting the bell and ribbon her soul sib had given the little one as a gift so many years ago now. Ra'kar got the impression that the Senshi was rather unhappy about sitting this round out... but Rose had wanted to try her hand at Shouyin... so the demoness had agreed.

She did rather think that the small kitten should be in her Angel form in case she was needed as a striker... but if this was her decision, Ra'kar had much more pressing matters on her mind. Like her fight with Vahn... and a certain jealous Salamander.*

"Where is your defender anyways Sunstrike?"

Ra'kar asks passively as she begins gearing up. Her armour already in place it was time to adjust her weapons and make sure everything fit comfortably. Chafing was nobodies friend.

*Ra'kar couldn't help but laugh as she watched his little performance. Oh he WAS entertaining. The demoness wouldn't kill him for that reason alone. People who she enjoyed watching THIS much were few and far between.

She laughs and waves her hand at him casually as he dribbles idiocies from his mouth.*

"Face up to you? Sure babe, right after I beat Vahn... If that won't break your spirit too much... You have yourself a fight."

Watching him she dissolves into laughter. Scathing, burning laughter. The kind of laughter that prickles along your skin and pokes at you like an army of ants wielding red hot pokers. The kind of laugh that got inside your head and wasn't entirely sane... and threatended to undue your sanity along with it.

"Perhaps a better question my friend... is, Where are the other two stooges?"

Ra'kar turns her back on Sunstrike, ignoring him entirely as she takes the coat handed to her. As Lucind addresses her, she feigns innocence, blinking wide eyes at her.

"I'll be a good girl Lu, Demon's honour."

With a wink she grins, flashing fangs as she takes a step back.

"Show 'im what you're made of luv."

Ra'kar wanders over to the team's bench and lays the coat down, making sure it didn't have to touch any uneccessary filth as she reflects on Sunny's threat. If he DID try and kill her at some point... she was going to have fun. A LOT of fun.

And there he was, back to consciousness: the little man belonging to the HoH staff. Well, he wanted to be a hero and had just made a fool of himself. But nobody blamed him: working in this location, mostly alone, could left worst damages than paranoia and weak nerves. And none of his friends was present at the moment so he could still tell them whatever he wanted.

Anyway, he was now busy with distributing HoH merchandise among the media men and the few private spectators. Needless to say that the clothes-pegs with the little HoH logo were the most popular items.

But the man also strongly advised to use another 'gimmick': ear plugs.

Upon the arrival of their master, the roaches swarm from the cieling in a cloud of brownish-black wings and fierce buzzing.

It doesn't take long for the mass of insects to "form up" before Silver and land on the ground.

If one looked closely enough, it woulda appear as if they were... kneeling?

That is... if roaches were capable of such an action.

It was the sound of dripping water and sloshing liquids which hid the noise they made as they passed through the area. Three figures, moving together through the sewers until they stepped in view of the platform.

The three judges had arrived, each covered by a mask and cloak costume.

One was a monkey, whose mask showed a curious face and cloak which appeared as short brown hairs.

One was a gator, who moved through the sewage in a mottled green cloak, perfectly fine with wading in the liquid, its mask long and scaled, revealing rows of teeth in its slightly open maw.

One was an angel, whose white robes and miniature wings were completely undirtied even in the area, and whose silver mask showed a beautiful human face.

Three judges, no cameras, no paramedics, no spectators. It was unlikely that anyone would want to venture into such an area just for a fight, and nobody came. Instead, there were cameras set into specific areas which overlooked the platform and general area.

As he was taking a deep breath with intent to hold it in, Silver was suddenly surprised by a pair of eyes int he darkness. The inhale turned into gasp, and he lept back, startled.

Yellow eyes in the dark. Creepy. But it wasn't hard to figure out who it was. Silver let out a long exhale, partially a sigh of relief.

"Oh, whew, it's just you. Er, I, uh, I had to check on a friend of mine. He was injured in the last match... S-sorry if I'm a bit late..."

Silver looked away and raised a hand to scratch at his head, a little embarassed, like a kid who had been caught truant for class. He didn't really expect Vahn to be there, let alone waiting for him.

• Small clicking sounds were made as Rose walked against the sticky wall of the sewer, trying to avoiding the sloshing water only inches away from her. The overpowering smell went right through the black cotton cloth she had over her mouth and nose. The only part of her face visible was her right eye which adjusted nicely to the dimness of the sewer. It was only in the darkness that her sensitive red eyes felt normal. Her left eye hid under thick strands which ended at her shoulder blades. Quietly, she made her way through the tunnels by following the voices she heard and stopped when she faced Shouyin's back. Peeking over his shoulder she glanced down at his PSP. And thus, she reached over and covered the whole screen with her hand.*

Lucind had sat down next to Sun and was in fact leaning against his side, her ears twitching a little whenever she noticed someone else approaching the fighting area. She hummed a random melody, seemingly relaxed and indifferent to the fact that she was going to fight very soon.

She softly nudged Sun when the three dressed up judges arrived and stood up. After stretching and yawning some more, Lucind smiled at the red head. "Ready?"

The Half-Siren blowed him a kiss and turned around to make some steps away from the platform's center.

"Fine, let's start then..."

If anyone was to see her face he would notice her smile transforming into something like a mischievous smirk.

When she was about three feet away from the platform's end, the woman swirled around to 'greet' her opponent with an

About Sirens Wrote:

iri ki = intensified version of the iri gal; trill on "ae", lower frequence, causes serious dizziness, nausea and/or faint; trill on "i", higher frequence, causes dizziness and/or faint as well, but also minor up to severe physical damage of the listeners auditory canal; it is said that some Sirens even managed to kill people with this attack, there are no evidences, though

She chose a lower frequence for she didn't intend to cause any irreversible physical damages. Still, it was no fun to be the adressed person of this sound wave attack.

And being in a tunnel brought a nice echo, that is, it was ******** loud also for the people standing around. Tiny particles of plaster and stone fell from the ceiling, causing dusty clouds.

Lucind herself, who had taken a rather open stance, ready to react on whatever following attack, seemed to be someone else now: her friendly features had been exchanged against those of an amazon. If it wasn't for a somewhat goofy gleam in her eyes, merely a hint of joking, one might have thought she was facing her arch-enemy.

( ::01/17:: )

The trill stopped indeed when Sun got into reach of her - it was only a short, 'tuned up' battlecry and too strennuous to use it for more than a couple of seconds.

When Sun approached it was obviously the he had serious problems to keep himself straight. Still he was taller and his body ramming into her might have been enough to knock her over. Therefore, Lucind tried to take advantage of his handicapped senses:

She made a little step to the right; her left hand grabbed his left wrist, her right hand took hold of his clothes in height of his hip - she pulled a little but mainly wanted to use his momentum to make them both swirl around each other, keeping some space between them.

The dance was not meant to last for long. After a 180� turn Lu would let go of Sun to send a kick with her left leg, aiming for his side.

( ::02/17:: )

She frowned when their wrists locked. Now, in this situation, letting go of each other while spinning wasn't wise. But being grabbed by a second hand wasn't desirable as well, above all being thrown into the sewage.

So, when his staff was dropped her free, right hand shot around to block his, or rather slap it off. Lucind had a very good idea of what he planned to do. To quit this 'tango' she twisted her hip (then in a 90� angle to his) to have better access to his hand, for she had to reach around her back - but also to start a leg-block: her grap on Sun's wrist got tighter and she let herself fall, that is, she tried to slide her left leg between his, her other leg right to his left ankle. The woman simply wanted to furl her legs around his left to bring them both to fall, planning to let go of his wrist if it worked.

And then? Well, she would have to see.

( ::03/17:: )

MoonlitBlackRose Wrote:

• Small clicking sounds were made as Rose walked against the sticky wall of the sewer, trying to avoiding the sloshing water only inches away from her. The overpowering smell went right through the black cotton cloth she had over her mouth and nose. The only part of her face visible was her right eye which adjusted nicely to the dimness of the sewer. It was only in the darkness that her sensitive red eyes felt normal. Her left eye hid under thick strands which ended at her shoulder blades. Quietly, she made her way through the tunnels by following the voices she heard and stopped when she faced Shouyin's back. Peeking over his shoulder she glanced down at his PSP. And thus, she reached over and covered the whole screen with her hand.*

Holy ********, the screen the screen, fingerprints, fingerprints all over! Oh God!

Now, Shouyin didn't say that stuff, 'cause it would've made him seem like a nerd, but such thoughts were loud and fresh in his mind. You just didn't touch a PSP screen man. It was a tiny little piece of LCD majesty, and to mar it with your hands, dear Lord. He was gonna be dry-clothing that thing down for like three minutes that night.

However, his actions were entirely different to his panicked thoughts. He simply saved the game mid-mission, didn't even have to look, he could recognize where he was by sound, then put the PSP in the case he had, and put that in his backpack. That said and done with, he looked up at the owner of the slender fingers who'd covered his screen with a calm face, and spoke his mind.

"Well, 'lo. Can I help you?"

From all around them thosands of voices could be heard, saying "Go Lucind!!", but you really could tell wear they wear coming from in reality the walls where covered in the nanites of a being made entirely of nanites who had grown to be quiet a fan of lucind and he used his nanites to turn the walls into a thosands of mircophones each sending out his voice at different times.

The Half-Siren was indeed yanked upwards, that is, her legs. If this had been show fighting she might have done something smexy like sliding her body down his legs and back...well, maybe they could do something like that later on...

However! - this was all about more or less spontaneous action and reaction. When Sun flipped back into the handstand, ripping Lucind's legs upwards she made a backwards roll over her left shoulder. It really looked a little ungraceful and chances were she'd have some sore muscles tomorrow. Her neck already ached a little from the unexpected bending.

After finishing her roll in a kneeling position, the woman raised her brows.

"I really think we should enrol for a dancing course, dear,"she stated calmy, not without a trace of amusement in her voice.

She didn't take a break, though, but pushed her body off of the ground and darted towards Sunstrike (assuming he'd be standing on his feet by then): It looked as if she wanted to run past him for her direction went a little off to his left side. Lucind raised her right hand, holding it in front of her right shoulder, and - did she plan to punch his pretty face? Well, not exactly. For her sprint was only a short one and she slowed down about four feet away from him.

Her left hand was raised on waist height and suddenly, with a little flick of her right wrist, her Siren staffed appeared in her hand. Thus, it was no fist aiming for the side of his face, but the upper part of the staff.

( ::04/17:: )

Sunstrike did indeed manage to land on his feet for that one, and was acting as she moved forwards.

His hands had been free while they'd grappled and still remained as such until now. Sun's feet shifted in stance and his own staff was popped up horizontally from where it lay into his open hands.

Although he had no clue what she'd be attacking him with until she used it, the movement of her hand to her waist made him think it might be one of those nasty looking throwing daggers.

So when she stopped four feet away he did what any person thinking that something sharp was coming for him, especially when her hand flicked out, he ducked.

Something indeed whizzed by over his head, and even though it wasn't what he was expected, the result was the same, he closed the distance and tackled her like a linebacker, driving her back and probably a lot of air from her lungs.

(( 4 ))

"Ugh..." Not that she didn't liked it a little rough - but tackling like this?? She couldn't do much to block the thrust of his body and decided to do an over-the-shoulder-roll after a staggering step backwards to prevent herself from flopping down on her bum.

Yet when she bent her knees and got ready to crouch into the roll, her right arm was quickly guided down and back in a fluid move to follow through with the other part of her staff on her left side. With the change of direction it wouldn't describe an upwards course but almost wipe around parallel to the ground horizontally. Depending on how low Sun had ducked, the blow was aimed for the area between temple and shoulder.

( ::05/17:: )

"I know."

He kept his back to Silver, right arm raising and causing the rest of his coat to droop. Eventually it slid off enough to reveal his bare back. In the dim lighting, that mark could be seen. The flaming tattoo that encompassed all of his back.

The mark of the official succesor of a terrastrial avatar... Of Efreet to be exact. This one in particular was an ancient flame style from the West. In it's complete history starting from the birth of the planet itself, only 15 people have been able to master it. The average time it took to master it was 32 years.

Vahn mastered it in 4 years.

"I know that you practiced with Mitsuyo everyday while hiding it from me. But so what?" His head turned to the side, staring at Silver. "This opponent is a lot different than the ones you fought. you think this is something you can beat just by practicing for a month?"

His eye widened once more with that feeling of doom, every word coming out of his mouth serious.

"Don't be so naive." Silver would feel the weight of his words, as if someone were pressing a blade into his own throat, yet Vahn was unmoving, still in the same place.

"...'It will work out'? Of course. Until now you weren't 'fighting'. You were just 'waiting' for it to save you! You said you could 'fight' right? That means 'I can beat an enemy by myself'. No one will save you. If you realize that, I will let you choose."

Vahn had already turned around to fully face Silver at this point now. Eyebrows furrowed, and his head tilted slightly upwards, that same demeanor, that attitude that bled confindence made itself known.

"Either you come with me and 'fight'. Or you 'wait' for it to save you. Choose with your own will."

Silver carefully eyed the tattoo on Vahn's back in the dim light. It was something alltogether new to him, but familiar at the same time. It was amazing Vahn had such a thing. Was there something more to the mark of Efreet? Another piece to the puzzle?

Silver's hand was shaking now, still clentched in a tight fist. Another bead of sweat ran down his head. He gritted his teeth as Vahn spoke.

"You... you know what's happening to me, don't you? How... Did you somehow know this would happen? Is this what you went through?"

Silver threw his hand out to side, opening it at the same time.

"I don't want to wait for anything. I don't want anyone to save me. I want to fight this... whatever it is. Only I control me!"

Ra'kar was momentarily distracted from Lucind and Sunstrike's match as she sensed him. Highly agitated and packing power. His flame felt stronger than it had in a long time...

"Interesting..."

She mused. But even more interesting, was the ressonance of a second flame. Simillar in energy signature, but not as developed.

"Silver... That's very interesting..."

*She smiles and her almond shaped eyes return their gaze to the fight just in time to see Sunstrike go clear off the platform and into the sewage.

Her eyes widened as the man dissapeared from sight entirely. Her stomach heaved at the thought of falling into THAT! Eughhh gods. GROSS.

She felt like snickering at his misfortune... but this meant Lu would now be exposed to scum covered Sunstrike.

But then something pressed at her mind... Just like when Wendy is forced to walk the plank in Disney's Peter Pan... No SPLASH. Peter had caught her... Sunstrike must've too!

Her head turned around as a media crew caught her attention.*

========

"Oh MY! Folks it would seem that Sunstrike of team GLACIER just fell INTO the sewer channel. That's right folks... INTO the raw sewage!! What will this mean for the fight? Where will he emerge?! I suspect we'll see in just a moment in ladies and gentlemen!"

a suspense filled pause as they all wait with eager if not semi-horrified anticipation. Then! A collective gasp as the camera's pan to the far side of the platform

"HOLY GINO GAMBINO! It appears that Sunstrike actually managed to hang onto the platform!! Narrowly avoiding a greusome fate! This IS amazing!"

And there he was again. Well, the show had to go on, ne?

"Welcome back, pretty."

Next thing he did, was running towards her.

And Lucind?

She decided to try something else. When Sun broke into dashing, her staff transformed back into its pearl form and instead...she used another sound wave attack:

About Sirens Wrote:

iri kal = "sound blast"; humming on slowly increasing frequency, soundwaves are collected within the resonance space of a Siren's head, then released (concentric) on "a" to hit the opponent or any object with a bundle of sound waves; a well performed iri kal can send a full grown man flying some metres

It was a quickly made decision and in case Sun managed to avoid the blow, the Half-Siren pulled out two knives while doing to attack aimed at his chest, holding a knife in each hand.

( ::08/17:: )

"Whatever the hell you want to do." He threw a hand up, in a faux salute, even as he started walking down the tunnel. "Besides, you have a team to go watch, don't you?"

A swirl of the coat, and he would soon be gone, into the tunnel.

OOC: And Shouyin was left with Rose and the responsiblity of saving Sun if need be.

sweatdrop

Fool me once...shame on you, fool me twice...

Sun had built up a good deal of speed as he moved from one end of the platform to reach her in the middle. He'd seen her use sound once as a weapon, that scream...his ears still tingled.

That's why he didn't hear the humming until it was almost too late, the strange eyes grew wide and he hit the floor, tumbling forwards as the ball of sound whizzed by overhead.

His staff shot out and caught her around the ankles, in an attempt to sweep her feet out from under her.

(( 8 ))

The staff passed with a whoosh underneath the womans form, and switched hands with a smack leaving the left hand to take up the slack from the momentum of the weapon, and leaving his right hand free, to stop that pretty foot just short of hitting him in the face.

Amazingly enough, he used her momentum of spin to dive over her, dragging her ankle along with him.

So we would have had, Lucind bending backwards for a good back flip, and Sun, throwing himself forward with her leg to follow her around increasing her momentum and forcing her backwards onto her back or...as more like the case.

Head first over the edge of the platform with only Sun's grip on her ankle keeping her out of the bog below.

(( 9 ))

Oh boy were they ever heading for the edge.

Sun was not to be thwarted in his plan, even as the bite of a knife edge slammed into his forearm, he dug in and shoved the smaller form of a curled up Lucind over the edge.

(( 10 ))

There was a muffed embarassed sound, as they both stopped just short Sun's arms windmilling frantically and throwing himself back with the result of well...he ended up on his back, head bumping the ground, his legs over the edge...with Lucind ending up somewhere that probably wasn't decent...

.... it was a good thing she wasn't wearing a skirt...

His hands reached up and grabbed the collar of her shirt and heaved backwards in a back somersault, intending to force her to curl up and follow along as he sat up again this time on top, legs braced to either side of her body, hands still maintaining their hold.

(( 11 ))

Sunstrike still had a hold of her shirtfront, however, so when he came up it didn't take much to interfere with the flow of at least her punch, though again the knife bit deep, this time into his thigh. He rolled back, forcing the knife to drag along in a wound instead of imbedding, bringing his feet up to her stomach and throwing her over his shoulder.

Following up, he pushed himself up off the ground and pounded towards the spot where she would land, probably on her feet, knowing how graceful she was, but before disorientation was lost.

(( 12 ))

MoonlitBlackRose Wrote:

Rose kicked his backpack into the sloshing brown water.

Except it was hanging over his shoulder by a single strap as usual, so she just kicked air.

"Ants in your pants?"

Shouyin was kinda having trouble reading her intentions without her speaking.

Unfortunately, a rat fell from the ceiling and landed directly in Rose's mouth.

First all that dancing and spinning. And now it was like, 'Keep rolling, rolling, rolling...'

Lucind stopped the momentum of being thrown with rolling over her shoulder, thus landing in a kneeling position and directly jumping up.

She swirled around - and there he was again, entering her personal space. And he....pounded. Did he planned to stomp a cockroach or something?

Lu shifted her weight to pull back her foot a little to prevent herself from getting squashed toes.

And then she jumped at him like a raging cat...or something like that.

Using his slightly bent knee as a step and grabbing his shoulders she shot up to ram the knee of her free leg into his ribcage.

( ::13/17:: )

When his hand covered her face she didn't wait but directly bit him hard and also used her left hand to harshly yank back index-, middle- and ringfinger to free her head. Of course, even then the fall would hurt a lot but at least she could catch most of her weight with her shoulders and not with the back of her head.

Also, it was time for another knife - hell, weren't they made for being thrown?? Anyway, when Sun grabbed her knee she lissomly took another dagger (thus, only one on each thigh was left) and came around and up, intending for stabbing his side, directly under his shoulder. And for he knelt down while throwing or slamming her to the ground, she should be in reach for that move even while falling.

( ::14/17:: )

What the... A nose-attack? If it wasn't for the fact the one or two of Lu's rips had indeed cracked when she hit the ground causing a lot of pain, she would have started to giggle. His weight on her chest didn't help either. She desperately tried to push up her knees to stop him squeezing her damaged ribcage.

Lucind released his hand and brought her arms over her head. Her staff appeared in her hands, growing out of the pearl laying in the setting of her right glove.

She knew it was going to give her some more pain, but she breathed in through her mouth and delivered another iri ki, the same vocal attack with which she had opened the round. It wasn't as forceful as the first time due to the given circumstances. Still she hoped to mess up his senses enough to land the move which followed after a second.

Lu's left hand changed its grip and was then placed over the staff.

Her right arm shot forward in an attempt to strike the left side of his neck, or the side of his face.

( ::15/17:: )

Lucind hissed and cried out in pain when she rolled over the platform, not being keen to simply somersault again to land kneeling. She came to a halt when one of her legs hung over the ground's edge again. Fortunately, he had had send her halfway towards the side of the platform which was connected with the sidewalk, thus her arms found enough grip to stop.

"And what...is it with you...throwing me again and...again," she wheezed while slowly standing up, using her staff for support. Yet, her eyes still hadn't lost that half mocking half goofy gleam.

She considered what to do now, which combination of her attacks would be least hurtful. It seemed to be pretty useless, though. Every move she'd make was going to be ******** unpleasant. Sweat of pain glistened on her face.

Her staff was dropped, but didn't clattered on the ground and was instead steadied by her right foot. The last two daggers were pulled out and - whoot, finally - thrown. One heading for his left shoulder, the other for his right thigh. Directly after sending them, she kicked up her staff and grabbed it tightly.

( ::16/17:: )

The Half-Siren dodged his kick.

She swung her staff up, not to hit him but to guide his leg away from her, pushing it towards the center of his body and straightened at the same time to swirl past him, her back rolling along his side - she guided her staff behind herself in case he wanted to attack her unprotected back. Lucind thus ended standing half behind him, her staff vertically in front of her chest, but she simply made some more steps back instead of following with another attack.

She sighed. "This is leading nowhere, Sunstrike." The Siren accent made her rolling the 'r' in his name. Then Lu's eyes dropped sidewards and she...chuckled. You know, this low voiced chuckling when women are definitely up to something. In fact, his last comment had been kind of inspiring...

The staff shrinked back and she raised her head to look at him, a delicate smile on her lips - maybe spending too much time with Ra'kar had started to rub off on her.

"Okay, then. Let's finish this - and get dirty." One of her brows was raised. Her voice got even deeper. "Right now and here..."

She slowly walked over to him, swaying her hips and fixing his eyes. If one was to pay close attention to her body language he could tell she was still on guard, for she didn't know how Sun was going to react to her last attack.

She stopped half a meter in front of him, her hand reached out for him, not hastily but unswerving heading for his chest, getting hold of his top's fabric. Oh yes, she did enjoy herself with doing this.

Lucind pulled him towards her and in the same way stepped forward to close the space between them....and simply engage him into a neat, if not passionate kiss.

Yet.

The woman's left hand clenched into a fist. Her last reserves of energy rolled through her body, sending a good amount of ki into her hand. If Sun was stunned enough by the kiss he might not have enough time to do something against the reinforced punch which was going to be planted in his stomach.

Ah well, the weapon of a woman...

( ::17/17:: )

Shouyin watched idly as Lucind and Sunstrike locked lips, grinning just a little.

Then they jumped in the river together.

"lol"

He pulled a can of Coke out of his backpack and started drinking.

All was quiet from the lapping, murky river, however.

Sun hadn't even broken the surface?! Where the hell was he? And how could you drown in waist deep muck.

Then a ripple and something exploded to the surface sputtering and coughing. Two orange eyes gleamed from its depths. Pulling himself up hacking all the liquid from his lungs, Sun looked worse off then Lu, and she looked pretty bad. Sludge dripped from him. Then he blinked at Shou, Lu and Ra'Kar. His arms spread wide.

"Hug?"

"Tss, sure. Come over, cutie," she stated while trying to clean her clothes.

However, she needed to do something against her pain now, so she searched for something to sit on and waited for the judges' call.

Lucind blinked at him, then nodded.

"'Kay, let's go then."

Holding her sides she made her way out with him to find some clear water...and soap, maybe.

And lots of deo.

Shouyin pulled off his jacket and shirt, shoved them in his backpack and moved off-center of the middle of the steel grate platform that was the ring. He tossed the bag behind him, putting the weird girl who tried to kick him and Ra'kar in front of him. Grinning, he scratched along his hairline, looking between Ra'kar and that other chick.

"Well, who's next?"

Shouyin made a stone, one that fit comfortably in his palm, and tossed it hard at her head.

'Come at her', what a weirdo. He was the man, she came to -him-.

= D

1

Shouyin hopped back a step, her sweep flying past his legs. He then raised up his left leg, turning clockwise and extending his leg in a sidekick for her head. It'd hit just as the sweep was ending, before she could move to the side or something. Only real option was to extend upwards and take the foot to the shoulder.

2

Shouyin, whose entire body was facing was facing to the right because of the sidekick, just sat on Rose's back as she came rolling into his leg. He'd be straddled just below her shoulderblades, his back to her head, which would be looking downwards.

His left heel would jab into the back of Rose's right knee, causing some significant pain, as both his hands grabbed her ankle, pulling her leg back enough so that he could grip her left leg above the elbow and pull back further, which would -really- hurt. He didn't know if it was a real submission hold, but that was the idea.

3

Shouyin could feel Rose manoeuvering underneath him, and it was obvious the leg stretch wasn't doing enough, seeing as she wasn't yelling or tapping out or anything. So, while she was rummaging in her breasts and carp, he switched his grip on her knee back to her foot, right hand grabbing her toes, left hand grabbing the heel, and he twisted clockwise, hard.

His left foot's pressure against the back of her leg would increase as he twisted his body to the right, putting her foot near his right hip. The pain of a few of her ankle and leg bones trying to escape their sockets would hopefully convince Rose to quit trying to pull out that talisman and give up. If it didn't, then the bright light would just convince him to hold the position, and then twist farther and farther. Sure he'd be surprised, but that wouldn't make him any lighter. And he did weigh about 236 pounds, but fifty of that was stone, he wasn't fat or something.

4

When Sun and Lucind came back, much cleaner now though at some point you just couldn't eliminate the smell without a decent bath, the Half-Siren noticed the second round had just begun. Some piece of clothes was wrapped around her chest to stabilize her ribs a little. In addition, she had used the same pain blocking song on herself, with which she had helped Ra'kar after that gear glomping striker assist. Breathing still kind of caused a clenching feeling in her chest but it would be endurable for the next fifteen to twenty minutes.

Frowning ever so slightly when Shouyin began to twist Rose's limbs in ways that hurt even to look at, her Siren staff appeared in her right hand and she stepped back until she felt the tunnel wall behind her. With Shouyin sitting with his back towards her she might had a good chance to free her team mate. Her body tensed and Lucind jumped off into action...literally.

For she had seen Rose using an amulet and knew about the possible effects Lu didn't startle at its flashing effect. Barely audible, she had been humming since the pearl transformed into the staff, which started to hum and vibrate in reply.

Starting into a short sprint, she pushed off of the ground and flew towards the Half-Golem, starting her combinated attack:

Lucind opened with an

About Sirens Wrote:

iri ki = intensified version of the iri gal; trill on "ae", lower frequence, causes serious dizziness, nausea and/or faint; trill on "i", higher frequence, causes dizziness and/or faint as well, but also minor up to severe physical damage of the listeners auditory canal; it is said that some Sirens even managed to kill people with this attack, there are no evidences, though

in attempt to ******** up Shou's senses just as she had did with Sun. When the sound wave attack was released, her arms were raised about her head, tightly gripping her staff: she wanted to ram the tuning fork shaped end into Shouyin's shoulders or back, holding the weapon rather diagonally than perpendicular. However, the vocal attack had only increased the staff's vibration for it was able to accumulate sound waves.

Lucind hoped that the high frequency of her vocal attack as well as the sound waves of the reinforced 'tuning fork' were able to damage the stone man.

Of course, she also had to watch out to not crash down on Rose...

((Who is to answer now? Amanda I guess...?))

((Please forgive me lu-lu... ;_;

Unless your vocal attack is an AoE then ignore my striker, as Vahn would be stunned by it as well.))

After the talk he had with Silver, Vahn had found himself abmushed by several alligators, bent on making him their snack. As much of a failure as that plan had been, it had still prevented him from watching the first round.

As such, he had been here for the start of the second round, yet didn't take the chance to make himself known.

That is, until now.

Simply running out from the niche in the wall he'd been leaning against, there wasn't much he could do about the vocal attack that the Siren unleashed. However, he could very well stop her from ramming full tilt into Shouyin.

The distance wasn't that far, and he was already hopping in the air, aiming to come down with both his knees, right atop Lucind's exposed back. That should have been enough to pin her hard against the floor, just as her arms raised about her head.

"Ah for the love of..." Tch. "Vahn..." Sunstrike rubbed his eyes. He didn't really blame Vahn for doing what he did, but there was such a thing as overkill.

So it was another trip back to the infirmary with the blue haired siren for him...he honestly hoped they didn't think it was him that did that.

Opk. So here was Shouyin twisting Rose's ankle, and then there was Lucind behind them, turing the half-golem's muscles into to jello with a nice little note. Rose pushed him off her, which would put him on the ground on his right shoulder, trying not to puke. Then a bright flash of light, and she threw two knives at him. One bounced off the stone across his back right shoulder, the stuff that kept his right arm attached to his body, while the other imbedded itself in his back left shoulder. The smoke bomb engulfed him and his surrounding area.

And that's how that went down.

Luckily enough, that thirty seconds of smokescreen that kept Shouyin from seeing where Rose was, also gave him the time to recover. He'd get up, blink a few times to settle the little circles of darkness in his eyes, spit up a little something the vocal blast had uprooted, and regather his internal bearings. Everything except the re-establishment of equilibrium would take about twenty seconds. Note that he obviously wasn't breathing, since he wasn't in the mood for a coughing fit on top of everything else.

In the last ten seconds as he was getting his groove back, he quickly used his stone to push out the kunai in his shoulder, and then covered the wound with a little rock band-aid, so to speak. That way he wouldn't be bleeding everywhere and whatnot. The only sounds Rose would hear from inside the smokey veil, would be Shouyin spitting (which, if the smokebomb made any noise as it dispensed its contents, would be entirely masked), and that dropping of metal. For a final piece of preparation, as the kunai hit the floor and the smoke faded, he'd cover everything except his eyes, ears and nostrils in stone. Not even his nuts were spared, but that'd be more like a cup overtop of the area.

The move would immobilize everything except his right arm, since he wasn't in a "clobberin' time" mood, but the body shield wouldn't stay for long. It was all just for the sake of preventing Rose from getting the jump on him. In a single heartbeat he could remove the coating and spring into action.

Wooo. ~

5

Well, whatever. The explosion went off, Shouyin spotted Rose ('cause if she could see his unprotected eyes, then he could obviously see her), and, after the little explosion on his back, the stone protection sunk back into his skin and he repositioned himself four feet away from where he previously stood, facing Rose. All of that, starting from immediately after the explosion, took one or two seconds.

That over and done with he'd dash in towards Rose, moving at a pace quick enough that she'd have to react quickly to it all. And 'it all' would be a good ol' fashioned punch to the gut, but there was obviously more to it than that. While closing the final three feet between himself and Rose, he'd duck, and shift to the left somewhat, using that rising action to fuel his right hook to her liver. He held back, obviously, but it'd hurt like Hell, enough to take a man to his knees.

His left foot would be forwards, it, his head, and part of his left arm, of which the fist was up near his jaw, ending up past her right shoulder. If it hit, as she leaned forward, he'd rotate clockwise, swinging his left hand across in another hook to the back of her head. Possibly enough to knock her out, considering the point of impact, the shifting of weight, and the torque.

6

Ba dump ba dump ba dump ba... dump. And that my friends, was the sound of Shouyin's muscles seizing up, and his heart pumping blood out to every part of his body. Now, this attack left him time to "wonder what was going on", which then left him time to use his stone. Lucky how all it relied on was concentration, or elemental control, and a few drops of magic and fairy dust, and concentrate was all he could do in this state.

A fancy little split-second before Rose's knee came down, it'd be defended by a layer of stone. His right arm, which he could still move, seeing as it had no muscle, still wouldn't be able to reach her. So instead he made the stone re-create itself in the form of a great extension rushing for Rose's skull at a high speed resulting in a heavy impact, and it wasn't really something she could expect, especially since she'd be working off the surprise of her knee suddenly doing nothing. Hopefully that'd knock her out while he worked off these effects.

This would all decidedly occur in under five seconds.

7

If the body was unmoving for five seconds, the judges would make a call, ending the match in favor of Team Glacier.

Rose vs Shouyin

Knockout

• Nope, she wasn't knocked out. She was on Shouyin's body. Though the pain to her knee was surprising, she was on his body. And she wasn't blind. The stone did hit her, she didn't have enough time to dodge it completely but just enough to only catch the edge of it and have it hit the side of her head. And, as stated before, she was knocked to the edge of the platform, blackness around her due to her head rush which cleared out in seconds. She groaned and rolled over(Not to the edge D=). "Tipsy" she got to her feet to still see Shou on the ground. The powder would be wearing off soon and he'd regain his ability to move. Which was why she had to stop him. Fumbling into her black pouch and seeing a fuzzy Shouyin, she pulled out another smoke bomb. The smoke bomb was really a prepared vile with a small charge to trigger the explosion and distribution of the powdered contents and those powdered contents were also for paralyzing. But now it was one that would paralyze his thoughts and any 'advanced' brain functions, basically putting him in a drugged state of comatose sleep. Taking the smoke bomb, she lighted the whick on a kunai on her left garter. It lit up and the whick began to get shorter. A few seconds before it dispersed, Rose threw it at his body and watched as the powder dispersed around him.*

8/17

~In the infirmary~

"Hullllooooo~ I've got a bit of a mishap-"

"Sunstrike?! You're not in this round, you shouldn't be..." The headnurse stopped her tirade to look at the collapsed girl in his arms, volumes raised.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO STOP FIGHTING EACH OTHER AFTER THE MATCH-"

"L-look it wasn't, I mean, I couldn't, look would you just, STOP SHOUTING AT ME!!"

Various camera crews looked eagerly in the direction of the fighting.....then saw Sun, with a prone girl in his arms...

He was satisfyed in the fact that he passed her over to the silent orderly as the nurse shifted her big bosomed wrath towards the flashes that weren't supposed to go off in the infirmary tents.

Ducking out, he made his way back to the match, grumbling quietly and glad he got away scott-fre-

"You're the one they call, Sunstrike?" He looked very slowly at a darker shadow. By now he was nearly back to the place where he'd surfaced.

"Yes? C-can I help you." The shadow got bigger and Sun swallowed.

"Henry needs to see you." There was a cut off shout, and Sun was gone for the moment.

((Don't panic guys, he'll be back in a bit if things go well ^w^))

A post man comes to where Vhans team should be fighting. He was nothing special, he was dressed in a UPS uniform. It made since, he was a UPS man. He had a letter for Vhan. Instead, he just set it down. It was larger than normal envelops. And his name was huge on the envelope. Nobody else could open it, even if they tryed. Inside, were a million dollars. Real currency, no joke. Inside, there was a letter. It said.

Letter Wrote:

Dear Vhan,

I am requesting you meet me at Bassken lake. On the cliff nearest where Donald Tenebrae fought Reiko. I have a special item to give you. Your apperance is a necessity.

Your unknown Benefactor.

The UPS man left like nothing happened.

Shouyin was just getting up as the bomb came back. Kinda reminded him about a song starring a cat everyone feared was dead. So instead of getting completely to his feet, he hopped to either the diagonal left or right, depending on which side of him the 'nade had rolled beside, and therefore putting as much distance as he could between him and it before actually going to stand on two feet.

Depending on whether or not any whisps of smoke were following him, he'd take a deep breath and go into stance while shuffling away from the bomb as far as he could without putting himself in a compromisable position near the edge of the platform. Assuming the smoke was dispersing from somewhere in the middle of the steel grate he and Rose both stood on, Shouyin figured they were both just about in the same boat, forced to stand there and wait for the bomb to wear off.

Unless they wanted to cut it close and fight at the edges of the ring or something.

10

As Rose was dashing at him, Shouyin formulated a suitable plan.

He didn't know about the fire, but ducked under the blast nevertheless as his plan had dictacted, dashing into Rose, putting his hands around her hips and tossing her over his head into the sewage behind them. Despite her slowing down as she went to toast his face, she should still be packing enough momentum to ease the throwing process and make it all more of a surprise. Though as long as she wasn't somewhere over four hundred pounds the throw would be easy.

11

Shouyin's face was burnt lightly, first degree or something. Hopefully the medics could do something about that later. Then again, his hair was on fire too. Once Rose was tossed into the poop, he'd run yelling very loudly towards his pack, where that t-shirt was, all the while trying to pat out the flames with his stone right hand. He'd grab the shirt with his left hand, and use it and his right to put the flames out.

Hopefully there'd be some hair left to accompany the second degree burns on his scalp. And pray to ****** God the medics could do something about that too. He was ****** sick of getting scars from women.

EDITED TO PLEASE AMANDA

=' D

12

((Nope, edited to please logic.))

Okay, so Rose was tossed into the water. ONNOEZ SHE B DED. Rose WADED and grabbed the platform. Pulling herself up on it, dripping sewer water, and now on her knees, she faced Shouyin's front as he tried to put out the flames with his t-shirt. Quickly, Rose pulled out another smoke bomb and cut it in half with a kunai she pulled out from her left garter. With that, she threw the kunai at his right leg.

12/17

Fly through the air, sink, resurface, wade, climb out. If Shouyin hadn't put his hair out by the time she'd done all that he'd be one screwed ********. What with the burns and the extreme lack of hair and whatnot. Gods above believed that it'd probably take him about four seconds from grabbing the t-shirt to put out the fire. Said Gods had also tapped their heads a lot too, seeing how much area they could cover with rough pats in how much time. Seemed silly, but the Gods liked to cover stuff.

Despite panic and stuff, Shouyin's eyes would follow Rose as she made her way out. So when he saw her pull out -another- bloody smoke bomb, he'd make a little rock in his right hand and throw it at the 'nade, the idea being he'd either hit her hand and make her drop it, cut open or otherwise, or hit the bomb itself and knock it into the sewage or something. Rose would obviously have some pretty gross, slippery hands by now, so upsetting her grip shouldn't be too hard for a simple stone.

13

Shouyin caught the crap in his right hand (stone was easy to clean), and threw it back at Rose. He'd get to his feet, eyes still on her, making sure she didn't pull any more crazy ninja s**t on him. Friggin' women, all full of trickery. If he was allowed the time, he'd tie the shirt in front of his face like a big makeshift bandana, having let the crap covered stone on his hand fall off.

BURN PROTECTION!

= O

14

MoonlitBlackRose Wrote:

• As Shouyin caught the poopoo, Rose reached into her shirt

And would have another stone thrown at her head. Seriously, you think he was just gonna let her reach down her shirt and pull out more s**t? Fool me once mayn... That was kinda gross though, reaching into her top while covered in sewage. Shouyin wondered where she lived before this, because the smell didn't seem to be getting to her yet.

Even he thought his eyes would water bad after something like that, despite that little excursion he'd spent down there getting used to things the other day. Well whatever, maybe she lived in a dump or something, used to being dirty. Once again, if he was given enough time, he'd make that bandana. If the talismans still came he'd hop at the edge of the platform onto the other edge of the river or something. Shouyin was kinda getting used to explosions with this girl.

15

Shouyin took three steps to the left, and maybe one step forwards. He did this all while staying in stance. Which was, right foot forward, toes to the left forty-five, knees slightly bent, legs shoulder-width apart. His left fist was up by his jaw, while his right arm was held in a way so as to cover as much of his body from being easily targeted as possible. He didn't go full body stone, but he was prepared too, just wanted to see what he was dealing with first.

16

lolz, no u! Shouyin didn't hear the same thing three times previously and not recognize it the fourth time! Fool me twice gurl. He kicked the grenade into the poop, his breath held valiantly. He'd throw another rock at her, purposely missing her head to open her up for the second rock that'd follow right behind it, hopefully boucing off her forehead.

And, once it was safe, he'd talk.

"Mayn girl, you suck at this. Weaksauce."

Honestly he just wanted this to be done with so he could get those burns looked at.

17

Totully.

Shouyin grabbed his stuff and went to go get his burns looked at.

(( http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?page=109&t=701509#44647558

))

Feet slamed home as he skidded a corner in the sewer, sliding his way through the tunnels with the lights of fire imps to guide his way. He had taken a shortcut, running as fast as he could.

Far as he knew, he'd already missed the fight, distracted by the frankly disturbing conversation between himself and his creator...

It was going down one of these sidetunnels that he ran smack into none other then his Captain.

"Silver?!" "What the hell?"

Silver had just finished punching a ratigator in the gut and throwing it back into the sewer water from which it came, the whole time to the boosting of his Roach Cheer Squad. He wiped off his hands on themselves, then on his shirt.

"Jeez, how many of these things are down here? And didn't I tell you guys to leave me alone?! I don't want any roaches to command!"

Silver waved his hand to "shoo off" the roaches, before turning around and heading off back down the tunnel. Of course, unbeknownst to him, he was heading the way he had already come from. He'd done this turn around thing quite a few times already.

At least, he would have, if Sun didn't run into him.

"Oof! AAH! RATIGATOR!"

He put up his dukes. But lowered them when he saw who it was.

"Oh, it's just you, Sun! What are you doing here? Are you late for the fight, too? Man, I hope Shou and Vahn don't start without us. Are we close yet? I coulda swore it was right over here... somewhere..."

Silver whipped his head about in the darkness of the tunnel.

Sun blinked at him for a moment, then looked up and sighed.

"Shou was just starting as I left, it might be over with by now, sorry Silver, but..." A shoulder slammed into the light haired Captain as Sun picked him up in a firemans carry. Taking off in a sprint, again following the calling cards of imps.

"It's time to move!" Hold on, I'm coming, Vahn...even if I have to drag boy wonder here by his bony arse

"Hrk!"

Silver was stunned for only a moment, but it was long enough for Sun to hoist him up and for them to get a move on.

"H-hey, Sun, where are we going?! The ring is back that way!"

He pointed behind them.

"Or was it that way?"

To the right, that time.

Sun didn't pay any attention.

Did they find it?! Lights hovered in front of a solid wall and Sunstrike was glad Silver was facing away, cause they were headed straight towards it.

He cleared an estuary of sludge, skidded along the damp floor, spinning to the side. By now Silver may have seen what they were headed for, but it was too late.

Sunstrike jumped, just as the wall miraculously shifted with a grinding sound, throwing them right in the "watch" zone for the fight between Vahn and Ra'Kar.

Panting only a little, Sun uncerimoniously dropped Silver from his shoulder, leaning back against the now solid wall, and settling in to watch.

Silver hit the floor on his feet, and looked around confused for a moment before finding the ring in his field of vision. He motioned torwards it.

"Ah, see, I told you it was close by! I knew I'd get us here in one piece."

As if he'd done all the work. But there was no time to dwell on that now! There was a very dramatic battle indeed going on. Silver had to look closely to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"N... Sierra Nee-san?! She's on the other team?! Damn, I..."

Silver just sort of trailed off as something registered in his mind.

"That... that aura... that's not nee-san... that's... Oh man... Vahn..."

Silver's expression turned stern, as he looked back to face Sun.

"Sun, do we have any Striker stocks left?"

Orange eyes glared dangerously from the shadows. Shadows deepened as Vahn's blood was spilled.

"Two." Was the sharp statement. A rumble began to etch it's way in the uncomfortable silence.

Sunstrike was growling.

He was in a tight situation to be sure, and right now he needed to disengage. His right hand held on by some fluke, unknowingly thanks to the bracelet he wore, and he was going to get shoved off the edge completely.

"Dammit..."

With focus, on the blood that already had been split, and all over her blade, he ignited the black flame. It came searing out wards, and literally exploded. The small explosion took place directly between the two of them which would more than likely send the both of them backwards in oppositie directions.

Vahn would find himself on the side platform, off the main platform, landing with a heavy thudd, and as for Ra'kar...

He went forward, right through the flame he had created himself and smashing into the grating that served as the floor. He bounced along once, before coming to a final halt. His arm was on fire inside, and his face was stinging madly at the moment.

He pushed himself back up off the ground, and shook it off, looking for her.

5

As Vahn was going down, Silver was already going up.

Silver stepped up and used the slightly raised edge of the ring to spring himself high into the air over Vahn. As he flew, he angled his body down and raised his right arm up, drawing energy into it.

"Silver!"

His right arm shot forward, at the same time erupting into bright silvery flame. An invisible explosive force propeled him forward, rocketing back torwards the ground, at the same time, a shockwave of energy shooting out from around his fist as the flame compacted along it.

"BULLET!"

He aimed to slam the fist right into the still down Ra'kar that had tripped Vahn. Whether he impacted her, or the grating if she managed to dodge, the entire ring would buckle, the grating itself in the impact zone yeilding to the force. The water underneath them would fly outward in waves, and dust and grime would be shaken off the sewer walls. The lights would probably flicker, too. If she hadn't manage to grab hold of he sword on the grating, it'd be sent flying off to the side and into the muck.

Even if she didn't get hit, it should still have at least bought Vahn a little recovery time.

There was an explosion of feathers and silvered blood that spattered up the wall of the sewers as Juunikyuu launched herself off the viewing platform almost as soon as she saw Silver make his move. The transformation from Kitten to Senshi had been incredibly painful in such a short space of time but now she made to tackle Silver straight on, her wings driving her forwards against his energy blast. She would come at Silver from slightly below so that his one outstretched arm would rest on her shoulder and she would collide, shoulder first into his chest as she wrapped her arms tightly around his torso and drove the both of them away from the platform and down into the sewer's dank waters, her armoured feet clipping Vahn's head as she gritted her teeth against the scolding silver flames Silver emitted. There would still be an explosion, no doubt but less recovery time for Vahn and definatly less hinderance to her team mate.

• But it's alright because right now we're frozen -

*For a moment it would be as if time were indeed frozen... that moment that seems to span ages as the realization of something bad about to happen hits you.

Silver and Vahn were both about to be tackled in stereo. As the senshi drove the Captain of GLACIER off to the side and into the sewage, the powered up energy blast might cause a wave as they splashed down... but the platform that Ra'kar and Vahn were fighting on was undamaged.

Even as Silver had been moving to strike the demoness, She had been in the process of following up on his teammate.

As Vahn was pushing himself up off the ground, Ra'kar had risen from her sweeping crouch into a 'starters' position. You know the one racers have when they're pushing off from the starter's blocks, asses in the air? Well, the cameras were getting some bountiful booty as the demoness sprang forward. After the spill he took, Vahn would be situated in the back right corner area of the platform... As he started looking for her, she threw herself into his knee's in a lowling tackle aimed at taking his lower body out from under him.

One of two things or both would likely happen... He would fall back and smash his head off the ground with concussive force, possibly enough to knock him out... and or he would fall clear off the platform as the weight of the strike carried through and knocked him backwards.

Of course, Ra'kar didn't want to be knocked off the platform with him, so as soon as she connected and he started to fall, she let go, digging the soles of her boots hard against the ground as not to slide clear off.

So there it was. Silver went flying to the left as Juunikyuu hammered into his suspended body... and Vahn would go flying to the right, driven violently by Ra'kar.*

:: 5/17 ::

• I want to forget mistakes they've helped me make

"It's better to be broken than to break" -

*As Vahn rose to his feet, his presence flaring against Ra'kar's metaphysical senses.... her tail whipped behind her, metal striking against metal as it coiled about the elven sword. The snake-like appendage twisted around her body, placing Gogo No Senyou back in the demoness's grip.

Ra'kar's lips quirked into a sensual smile as as she rose to her own feet. Moving into a ready stance, she smiles across the small space between them.

Her right foot leading, her left foot back, knee bent slightly. Her left arm was in tight against her body, fist clenched as her sword was once again held across her chest diagonally.*

:: 6/17 ::

• Inside this fantasy - It seems so real to me -

*As he lept for her, she contemplated simply stepping backwards, sort of like he had with that first punch she'd thrown... Bet instead she held her ground and bending her knees slightly, she dropped about 1/2 a foot of height.

In case he tried to perfrom some crazy aerial kick with his leading leg, her free arm was ready to lash out in offense or defense...

But that left knee of his.... She brought her sword up and under the leg, drawing the blade back towards her so that it would cut deeply into his inner leg... There were crucial muscles and tendons to be had. But there was also the femoral arttery. Should she get that, the match would have to be called... because she was not getting a DQ for him dying. Besides... he was only of value to her alive.

However, as her sword slashed at him, her eyes widened as she realized her predicament. Vahn's body mass was still coming for her... and he was going to land flat on her! ********!

Her mind racing, the demoness throws herself to the ground, dropping backwards as if she were falling back onto a bed. But she wasn't... the ground was hard, and this was going to hurt. Hopefully he'd pass right over head?*

:: 7/17 ::

• Synthetic ecstasy - When her legs are open -

*Whoa Damn. She wasn't blind... and someone who paid attention to her opponent's muscle movements, that she might be alerted to what their plan was as it was being initiated... Ra'kar saw the switch.

Problem was. There was little she could do about it. She didn't throw herself down, she couldn't without getting caught by the changing leg position. Instead she dropped even further in her crouch, balancing on the balls of her feet as she squated beneath her attacker.

Dropping so quickly would change her sword stroke as well... It wouldn't be much difference damage wise, but instead of a straight line, it would look as if someone had been practicing drawing a right angle on his flesh.

As her arm, holding the sword dropped with her body and pulled in tight against her chest, her large upper wings unfurled and fanned over her head. They would be aimed with a bone breaking blow at his legs and lower torso as they moved to wrap about the demoness in a protective shield. Swans wings have enough power in them to break a human's arm or ribs... these baby's were 9ft in their span, the damage they could deal was considerably magnified.*

:: 8/17 ::

• True life behind a wall - Where men and angels fall -

"Aiyyaaaahhh!!"

*Her breath tore from her throat in a pained scream. Nothing was broken, but it felt like a muscle in her back was pulled, possibly torn. The stress on the wings had flowed through the appendages and into her scapula and spread itself out over her back. When the bones met the impact of his knee, they shuddered under the blow... and the strain of not snapping overtensed the muscles surrounding them.

Her wings were usable, but any action involving them was going to be torture. Which was why what she was about to do, was so hellish.

As he was moving into the saummersult, she wasn't hanging around. She didn't like how things had turned around and she wanted the ******** out of his leg's reach.

UP she went. She took off like a shot directly up, an ear piercing scream echoing through the tunnels as everything connected to her wings protested the action. She would fly back to the other end of the platform... putting distance back between them, the massive appendages twitching.*

:: 9/17 ::

• A fading memory - When my mind is frozen -

*Oh Bloody Hell. So he followed her and was trying to pull off exactly what she had hoped to avoid. Still... having the chance to observe him moving into the attack gave her a little more preperation time to counter than to just be KO'ed like she likely would have been if she'd of stayed put.

So what did she do? Well this time she was stepping back. Unfortunately that put only about a foot between her and the edge... But it got her out of range of those feet o'his. Even if only for a moment.

What did she do to help prevent him from just getting up and trying to kick her again? Her tail darted out and wrapped around the right leg, the one that was straight. It wrapped around just below the pelvis and thigh. The tail spine would bite deep into his leg's flesh, marring the limb with deep punctures. The snake-like tail would jerk up on the leg, causing Vahn's body to tip back and throw him off his balanced kick... She was aiming to land him on the ground neck/shoulders first. Hopefully that would at least sprain his neck badly if it didn't knock him out...

And in case he tried to keep coming forward, her wings were ready to come about in an overhead, crushing blow.*

:: 10/17 ::

• I can see a frozen point in time that is easy to retrace -

"Angh--!"

*She was about to be bounced like a ball on a paddle... But in comparison to the damage that he was inflicting on himself. It was worth a little manhandling.

The serrated blades that had imbedded themselves in his leg only dug deeper as he yanked her off her feet. Vahn would be in a lot of trouble to find that a lot of blood would be pumping from that leg wound. TOO MUCH blood. As she was rattled and the grip tightened about his limb, one of the spikes nicked the femoral artery. It wasn't pumping out as much blood as it could be... but much more movement and it'd be completely severed. As it was... he needed to stop the bleeding now. Or get to the infirmary tents outside.

To make matters worse, the actual tail blade swung around with the movement and dug into his kneecap, the razored tip digging between the joint.

As he swung her up and into the air, her tail released him... and her wings started pumping to carry her up and out of reach as she smiled sadistically.*

"Gotcha'!!"

*Flexing her will, Ra'kar triggered a trap she had set at the very start of the match. When she had been scuffing her boot about in the muck, she had actually been drawing a rune. She tapped the rune now and it exploded. Literally. A massive explosion of spiritual energy, it would cause the platform to buckle as rubble and chunks of concrete were forced into her opponent's back, other buts of stone left to rain upon him...

Ra'kar was hovering up near the very top of the tunnel, shielding her face from the bits of rock that threatened her.

Luckily for the spectators, they were all at a safe enough distance that nothing would rain down upon them.*

:: 11/17 ::

• Light and darkness are both intertwined, the elements are in their place -

*The camera's panned in on the pair as the devil lept for Ra'kar. The yellowed eyes that were picked out through the tendrils of smoke were echoed by a second pair. Narrowed, almond shaped eyes that eminated an eerie golden glow. Slitted pupils of obsidian flickered, forming depthless crescent moons before swirling into nothingness as the golden flame that burned in the demoness's eyes swallowed them.

Her lush lips parted in a psychotic yet seductive smirk that seemed to compliment Vahn's own perturbed smile.

He reached for her, as if he would strangle her slender neck. It was only a matter of time until he passed out from blood loss, until then. She was going to have some fun...

The pressure... the pain! The sense of him so near to her was intoxicating. What should have struck terror into the heart of any sane being... thrilled her. But then.... Ra'kar could hardly be called sane.

As he flew for her, she would circle him. He was jumping, while he might not be your average human, the laws of gravity would still apply to him... She stayed just beyond his reach until he started his descent. Coming up on his right side Ra'kar's sword would be on horizontal slash leading from her opponent's back to his front mid-section...

Her tail lashed out behind her as her free hand stayed by her left thigh. this would occupy 5-8 seconds...*

:: 12/17 ::

• With one motion of her wanting mind the real world begins to fade -

*Only problem was... she had moved about him as if she were moving with him. It was like a dance, and when it came to skirting about her opponent, she followed their lead.

As he moved past her, the left hand that was by her thigh snatched one of the throwing knives that was gartered there, the 4'' blade would find itself imbedded in his left hip, jarring the leg as he tried to move it. Unless he deflected the blade, but given his course that was unlikely.

Oh well. She had always known that Vahn was a little batty, so his hanging upside down didn't really surprise her... But. When he began to fall for her, arms outstretched, she had already taken off for him.

His black flame called to her own inner fire, and as the dark heat danced about his arm, so golden flame errupted about Ra'kar. The golden leviathans of fire lancing about her body... felt the pull of the relic clasped on her opponent's arm. But Ra'kar held on fast to her energies... they were a part of her and she surrendered them to no one.

Instead of him colliding with her, she rams into him full force. Problem was... she had her sword drawn, and poised. As she threw her weight into him and carried them both back up... Gogo No Sennyou was driven through his left shoulder, between the joint and the socket.

And because devils weren't the only hellish nightmares present, the woman's nicely manicured, allbeit bloodstained fingernails... hardened and lengthened into razor sharp talons, straight as spikes. As the sword entered his left shoulder, he would find her hand plunging into his right side beneath his rib cage. Being the sadistic b***h that she was, she wouldn't let go either... she had her handful of flesh and she would squeeze and twist as she sandwiched Vahn forcefully between herself and the concrete ceiling of the tunnels.*

:: 13/17 ::

• And all the hateful things I have become temporarily go away

How long will I be here without you near cuz I'm so cold -

*Or so he thought. Underestimated... always underestimated. The grip he applied to her right shoulder was nearly unbearable, but she was in such a mixed state of adrenaline and ecstasy that she could hardly tell. Even as her lips parted in a scream, it would be hard to tell if it was agony she was experiencing... or an orgasm. The french refer to that sexual climax as a 'little death'. And rightly so. The bones in her shoulder shattered under his hand and some of the muscles in her arm were badly torn up, causing her to relinquish her grip in her sword...

But as for the power that was supposed to rock her body? Vahn was in for a nasty nasty surprise. Unlike her soul sister who only knew what little of the legend had survived about the 'Raneuri' bond.... Ra'kar'shei'lian had existed when soul bonds were bountiful... She knew things about them Sierra did not.... As he went to force his power into her, Ra'kar was reminded of when he marked the elf maiden with the Fuuin. Too bad... She blasted open the link that was between their souls and used his soul and vessle as a 'ground'. It was as if lightning struck... the power circulated through them both.

Golden flame poured forth from the demoness's mouth as it opened in an endless scream, her haunting and tortured cry reverberating off the stone walls and plaguing the ears of spectators and HoH crew.

Her body would be completely engulfed in the golden flame for which she was known, the tendrils of fire would like across Vahn's body as well, mingling with the blackened fires of his power.

Unfortunately for Vahn... his Max mode would expire part way through the shocking loop of jolting energy that was racing through their two united beings.... All of a sudden all the damage he had been delt, would come screeching to the forefront of his mind... the blood flow would no longer be supressed and that leg wound would begin to pump his lifesblood from the femoral artery once more.

As the demoness released any grips she had on the man, it was indeed over. But not how anyone would have expected.... And it would be the devil who fell back to hell and to the ground beneath.*

:: 14/17 ::

Damn it!

Damn it!

Damn it!

He fell from grace. Eyes dulling whatever glow had once been there. The blood flowed freely, dancing, ever dancing through the air. The moment she used the seal which connected them to attack him the way she did, it burnt away to nothing. No longer were they connected as they had been.

It had all been washed away.

Damn it!!

His arms were spread out and on either side of his body. The pain he felt from the backlash... the excruating pain from an arm that was ruined... and the worst pain yet of his own spirit dying.

I can't die!

I can't die!

I can't die yet!

Not here...

What had happened? What could have gone so wrong... so fast. He had it. He could nearly taste it.. yet it was not meant to be.

Not now...!!

He continued to freefall, camera's never missing a single beat. People watching at home, viewers all across the globe, all watched as the man fell. Phones went off the hook, and Paul Stevens could only keep staring dumbfounded. In a world run by super-powers, humans were in the minority.. and displays such as this always frightened him, if not making his stomach churn.

I can't die yet...

He fell with a dull thudd, the sound reverberating throughout the tunnel. On screen, the image was slowed to a crawl, so viewers could see every single second. They didn't want to miss this, this supposed "great" fighter, "master" of flames fall of his pedestal. Those who hated him him, laughed. Those who despised him cheered. Those who knew of him talked s**t of him.

He was nothing more than a joke.

Not yet!!

The pain of fire ripped through his veins, trying to pump blood that wasn't there. It was a mess, a bloody mess.

And the camera's never missed a beat.

Move!

Move! Damn it!

Images of the stadium... that wonderful place. That blue haired lech... the cheeky red head... the arrogant black man... the determined silver haired guy... and even that beautiful elf. Past fights. Past flames. Past places.

Stop bleeding!

The flame... that damned flame that continued to burn in his mind. Finally dimming. Finally dwindling. He could feel nothing but darkness swallow him up. The pain... it wasn't hurting anymore. Not anymore.

I...

Have to stand back up and fight...!

He could actually see her now... laughing and running through those fields of emerald. He was laughing too now actually. Laughing and laughing. Why was he laughing....Why?

I...

Have to...

Only to have it all fade away. He was a failure.

And the camera's never stopped rolling.

15

Of all the stupid�

Sunstrike watched dumbfounded as the last few minuets of the battle played out. Gods be damned, he knew, KNEW that he should have fought that woman.

Then it was over, and he was sure that his heart stopped as Vahn fell limp to the floor.

No�

There wasn�t even a pause. Medics had already swamped the platform, called there way before hand by the judges. Things weren�t looking good.

~OUTSIDE~

�He�s just gone�the healers can�t get that blood to stop�half of us can�t even get close to him without suffering burns�not to mention what it�s doing to the instruments�� The head medic looked in frustration at the patient that was down.

That�s when a red head bobbed up over the top of Vahn.

�HEY! You can�t�� Strange eyes blinked up and silenced the yell. �You think you can get something?� A nod. �Well, everything else hasn�t worked, more power to you��

�Everyone had better get back�� Sun said quietly, then the heat spiked, causing curses all around and hasty scuffles back. Then he collapsed over the body, straddling and sitting on Vahn�s stomach. What was left of the jacket was ripped off and Sun leaned down, listening to the still chest for a few moments.

Damn� Sun ripped off his own shirt and felt around the bandages over the stab wound from earlier, tearing them off and reopening the wound. Fingers suddenly began sketching runes, circles, and lines, complex designs that spread from the chest outwards in a gory mess. He actually finished with a few to the forehead.

It wasn�t like he�d not done this before. He�d done something much simpler to Tellus and Hono Raven�but both times there�d been something still within the body, someone to converse with�Vahn was only tied very loosely, was somewhere else, and was pulling hard against those ties.

First thing he needed to do was tighten those threads that still bound Vahn to the mortal plane. Sun slammed his hand palm down right to the centre of the circle. The reaction was like an electric jolt surging through the darker mans body, arching it and restarting all the vital functions. Unlike the usual medical equipment, however, what Sun used was fire, igniting key places that would start a chain reaction with Vahn�s special chemistry. The smell of burning, cauterized flesh filled the area.

Right, that was the easy part. This next bit�

Sunstrike�s hand raised to his left eye, after only a moments hesitation, he dug in and ripped the entire ball out of the socket. Blood spurted and then oozed as he inspected the crystal that now resided in his hand. It wasn�t a true �human� eye by any stretch of the imagination, and it had taken a while for him to figure out which eye Henry had stashed the b*****d in.

Lifting it directly over the largest swirl along the other man�s chest, he dropped it, the amber reflecting off the walls as it hung and spun. Sun reached into the distance between, and his hand and arm completely disappeared for a second�he seemed to be reaching for something, and made a soft satisfied sound when he found it.

Both feet on the floor he threw his body backwards, hauling hard on something�something that pulled back.

�Ah c�mon Vahn�those girls ain�t got nothing on me�stubborn idiot.� He muttered softly as he dragged against the cord in his hand, forcing Vahn back into the now working body he�d left. There was a snap, and a yell. Yellow eyes looked around blearily before focusing on Sun, who was sat there, one eyed and grinning like a mad idiot.

And then the other man collapsed, sleeping instead of dead. The medics practically shoved Sun off in order to determine as such. As they carted Vahn off the chief leaned down and inspected the cavity where Sun�s eye used to be.

�That�ll need sterilizing before you put it back�� Sunstrike paused midway of actually putting it in.

�Shouldn�t have to worry bout that�s�too hot for germs and the like.� In fact, it was burning Sun�s fingertips as he held it. The medic nodded, and tried not to be very sick as the red-head put it back, holding his palm over his eye in order to keep it there.

�I�ll need some bandages before all the skin connects to it again�� He said quietly, there was a shuffle and some were handed to him. The silence stretched between the two, being the only people left.

�How�?�

�You honestly don�t want to know.� And that was that.

Sunstrike sighed softly, watching, half blind as they took Vahn away...he'd asked if he could look in on him later, and the medic had said they'd have to see...

He'd decided that he'd go have a drink, probably a stiff one, when he turned, and caught the flash of blue.

"Lu?" He suddenly leaned into her space taking a look. "You alright?"

The blush was slow, starting somewhere in the vicinity of his very large ears and ending up in the middle of the bridge of his nose. When it was complete it made his face match the colour of his hair.

"Erm...Lu-lu...what have they been giving you? C'mon, s'time for you to lie down in the te-NO NOT THERE!?" She'd started to hit the street, and he sighed, one good eye twitching. "You have to go to bed Lucind TO BED!" He began to gently lead her back to her cot, wanting to escape but trapped like a cornered rat...

"I didn't save you, I totally distracted him while you saved me...technically I owe you one girlie."

Sunstrike sighed, almost wishing he were on whatever they obviously put Lucind on when they'd bandaged her up. He picked her up, careful of her ribs and started walking away from the tent, looking back every now and then.

"Where do you wanna go then, Lu? You got someplace where you can rest that you'd rather?"

A few moments ago...

"HUWAH!"

Totally derailed. Juuni had made tactical use of her stricker stock to counter his and blindsided Silver out of the air, sending them both plummeting into the murky water. Exactly where Silver didn't want to be. But it wasn't the stentch or not being able to breath or how he was never going to wash that smell off that bothered Silver. It was the predicament Vahn was still in that he'd failed to help him out of.

Now...

The ripples in the "water", if you could call it that, were just starting to slowly die down from their impact point, when Silver's head shot back out it, gasping for air. He turned and grabbed Juuni, climbing out of the muck, helping her out at the same time. He didn't know much about her Senshi transformation, but it looked like it'd hurt. She might have not been able to climb out herself. Plus, Silver was a nice guy. You should always help a girl out of trouble.

"Good move."

There was sincerity in the compliment. Counter-striking had been pretty smart in that situation, and Glacier had pretty much gotten screwed on that one. Nothing to do but be a good sport about it. The match wasn't over yet. Or was it?

Silver had hurried back to his team's side just in time to see Vahn plummet to the floor. A shock for sure.

"VAHN!"

He'd tried to run to his fallen teacher's side, stepping up on the stage of battle. But when the medics carted him off and everyone else was ushered out, he himself was not allowed to leave. Silver whipped around to face the "Judge" that had appeared, filled with rage.

"What's the--?!"

He was cut off as the judge explained just what the deal was. Silver stood there a moment, fists clentched, staring at the Judge. So, the extra stage was to be his, then? It looked like he wasn't going to get out of a fight down here after all.

Silver's mind was in turmoil. Should he fight or not? It didn't matter to him that it was a Judge he faced. Even with supreme match deciding power and most likely plethora of other mysterious abilites, Vahn was still Silver's biggest concern. He had to make sure Vahn was okay. But if he was, would Vahn have wanted him to throw this fight? They had already won, but with so many injuries, his team would need him in the next round. There was only one thing to do. Just beat the judge quickly. The faster he won, the faster he'd get to Vahn.

The desperation was starting to get to Silver, though. His blood was boiling, and unbeknownst to him, sinister forces in his body were at work. His control was weaking over... it.

He slowly raised his hand up, fingers curled but hand open, annoyance on his face. Secretly, maybe subconsciously, though, he was thrilled for this battle. He would have relished in it, if there was not something else more important to him at the time. At the same time it had appeared, his thirst for battle and strong opponents had increased, even if he didn't realize it.

The hand ignited in bright silvery flame. However, for just a brief moment, from the base of the flames up, blackness started to creep over them. His hand shook as his flame slowly turned, but before it had gotten far, he clentched it shut tight, snuffing it out between his fingers. Silver put up his fists and widened his stance.

"Get outta my way!"

Extra Stage!

Silver vs. Angel

Heaven or Hell?

Let's ROCK!

So, the Judge wasn't going to make the first move. Silver should have expected that. Oh well, there was no time to play the waiting game, and that was the way he liked it.

Silver literally sprang into action, jumping forward and up from where he stood. As he flew, he brought his right leg up and extended it high straight up. Once in range of his opponent, he would drop in back down in a flaming arc, with a flying axe kick aimed for his opponents head.

Even though his attack missed, Silver landed cleanly on the grating in a crouch, his body coiling to absorb the impact. Using the same coil to spring forward again, Silver shot diagonally to his right, moving along the ground this time.

His left hand came up and his right went back in a fist. As he stepped in close, his upper body turned to the left, and his right hand swung out in a right hook, aimed for the Judge's head again.

Silver's teeth gritted and he grunted in frustration. Both that he couldn't seem to hit this guy, but that he also wasn't hitting back. He was being toyed with.

Instead of bringing his right arm back, his body positioning didnt change much, but his legs moved to straighen up with the upperbody. Silver put his left hand on his right fist, and pushed the right elbow forward. At the same time, he pushed off with his feet, small white bursts of flame shooting off the floor where they had been to propell him forward, and he flew sideways sliding along the floor, elbow first torwards the judge, aiming to impact his chest.

His right arm ignited from the elbow down, leaving a long train through the air to mark his path.

A solid hit. Good, now we're getting somewhere. The blood wasn't a big concern to him... yet.

Silver put his left foot down and back and then spun on it backwards to his right, turning his head and reversing his position, leaving him leading with his left side now, his left arm still up, but his right hand pulled back into a fist at his side.

He leaped forward again after the judge, this time sailing through the air more forward than up.

"GIN... TEIKATSU KYAKU!"

As he flew, Silver brought his right leg out and swung it across through the air. Keeping his body spinning, he then struck out forward with the left, then spun around once more and swung the right across again.

Ken no Gin Ryu Wrote:

Silver Cyclone Kick

A technique used mainly in Silver's old style, he still keeps it on his list because it's one of his favorites. The Silver Cyclone kick is a flying triple spin kick that utilizes the users ki or battle aura to stay in the air and flying forward long enough to perform the length of the move.

"GRAH!"

Stuffed. Silver was slammed back down onto the grating out of the air, his move canceled. He didn't lie there as to be followed up, however, as he "escape rolled" backwards, pulling his leg away from the judge and using the momentum to get back on his feet.

Silver raised his arms again to the ready, eyeing the judge carefully as he stood there breathing heavily. The scene before him gave him a sickly sense of deja vu. Still, there was no way his opponent could be that man... could it?

He wasnt going to wait to find out. He shook his right leg off from the pain. It hurt, but still functioned. Silver moved forward again, getting within striking distance of his opponent. His left arm came up, but he stepped and turned in hard with his right, sending another flaming punch at the Judge.

Silver's heart was pumping faster, and his blood boiled hotter. All the while, his flames became blacker.

Silver swayed to the right slightly with his right arm as it was deflected, leaning his head to the right as well, trying to avoid the other hand that had lashed out for him. But the Judge was fast, and the palm still managed to glance his cheek bone.

"Crk..."

He clentched his teeth and his left eye shut tight, partially from reflex and partially from the pain. He wasn't going to miss an opportunity, though. Hoping to react fast enough before the Judge's arm came back, Silver stepped in to close range so the arm went over his left shoulder, bringing his left hand down at the same time and balling the fist. He would aim to land a sharp body blow to the right side of the Judge's ribcage.

"GLAUGH!"

Owch, that had to hurt. Silver hadn't seen that one coming. This judge was mean. Suckered into a head-butt he'd taken right in the face, Silver's head snapped back, his own blood from his nose now in his throat and in the air.

Interestingly enough, as soon as the airborne blood droplets left his body, they ignited into tiny whisps of black flame in the dank sewer air, burning themselves out into small puffs of black smoke before they even hit the ground.

Silver would have just stumbled or fallen backwards if the Judge didn't keep his grip on the left shoulder of his shirt. The stunned Silver would be ripped back to his senses as a sharp pain shot through his right shoulder.

"AUGH!"

He left out a loud cry of pain, but he had to get away from the Judge or it was only going to get worse.

The left hand, the same that had delivered the blow to the ribs, came up on the inside of the Judge's right arm, shooting up into an uppercut aimed at the chin of that mask that had so recently smashed Silver's face.

Silver himself took a step back after being freed from the Judge's grip. This was to both put some space between him and the other combatant, as well as get out of the blood pool on the floor. He'd already partially stepped in it when he moved in too close, and he really didn't want any more on his shoes. But it was getting bigger. And still coming out of the Judge. He hadn't hit him that hard. What the hell was going on? It was all too familiar. Had the tournament commitee some how picked him an opponent out of his worst nightmares?

Silver's left hand flew to his pain-wracked right shoulder, that had taken a direct knife-hand. He could still move it, but it hurt like hell. Probably not dislocated, but most likely some torn muscles and maybe some fractured bones or something. Silver didn't know. He wasn't a doctor, but he wasn't about to throw the fight on it. And with no team mates around, they couldn't throw in the towel for him either. He'd just have to make better use of his left, or his feet.

Silver jumped forward again, a short jump this time, just to clear the blood pool. In the air, both his legs came up, and his right shot forward, aiming to impact the judge high with the outside of his right foot. A pretty standard jumpkick.

"TORIYAA!"

With everything that had gone down in the past two hours, no one had paid any attention to the group of shadows that hauled a body out from the side of the main staging area, and walked off into a side tunnel.

The medics would return, wondering if the female had just gotten up and walked away.

"My-my-my... that was quite the show."

The figures knelt on the ground, each holding up an arm of the woman, supporting her into a kneeled position as well. The artificial lighting in the tunnel flickered on and off several times before adjusting itself.

The light footfalls brought into view a man in his early twenties at best, wearing quite the fashionable suit and tie. Raven hair was slicked back along his head, yellowed eyes staring out from gleaming spectacles.

"You had me worried there for a moment, my lovely flower. It would have been a real shame to lose you..."

"Fitting, for a demoness such as yourself."

Victor snapped his fingers, both figures lifting the batter up and off the floor.Remnants of a bone white mask could be seen under neath their shrouded hoods, even as they silently moved down the tunnel with their charge.

"Well... the results were unexpected, but the meaning was the same." He pushed up his glasses with two fingers, before turning to go.

"I have what I came for... Isn't that right... Junnikyu?"

A half smile in the flickering lights, before he too would follow the figures, exiting up into Durem.

The angel waited as Silver got back up and came at him once again, moving to make a somersaulting kick with his back to the judge. And the judge would dodge the move, stepping back out of it's reach like a ghost as the white cloth of the cloak slid across the grating.

And as the captain of Team Glacier was flipping through the air, upside down, facing the judge, the judge would have throws the white cloak upwards right into his face, silver mask with it. This would blind him as it flew up and wraped around his moving body with his flip, and whether or not he would be able to land on his feet after that, no one would really know, as a boot would thrust right into the airborne man's lower back when he came back down.

But alas, he probably wouldnt be able to make more than an outline out as the light swung around and pointed in Silver's direction for a second before it began to swing back around.

But in that time, there wouldnt be time to look, as the blood which seemed to be everywhere in the area started collecting and forming up into a pillar right in front of the downed captain, a pillar which of course, swung around to smack the left side of Silver's head just as the light would swing towards the judge, blocking him from view with a swirling mass of red.

It was liquid, yet it had form and solidiy of its own, moving within itself to hold its shape, and fast enough so that it gave a sort of resistance, like a highly pressurized stream of water.

It would slam into the captain's foot and throw it back like a water cannon, only the blood which went around his leg would connect again on the other side, acting sort of like an arm as it tightened around his leg, pressure on all sides to trap it, and then it flung him straight up like a kraken's tentacle wrapping around a sailor, throwing him towards the ceiling of the cavern.

And he judge just stood in the background as the light swung back and forth, one thing clearly visible even in the dimmest of lighting.

Blank mercury orbs, eyes which seemed to glow in the dark.

((Eh? My mistake. I thought you were on the ground when I made the initial swing. And then I thought you got up and stopped it with your foot or something. But anyways, result would have been the same whether it grabbed your arm or head or something. Just a throw.))

THE IRON MAIDEN

And after the column had hurled the man into the air, it would collapse, like the liquid it was having no form as it spilled and coated the grating once again.

Again, another aerial attack. Done with a so very obvious posture and give-away with the burst against the ceiling, but it was fast.

The judge began to turn, and by the time Silver would soar in, the judge would have his back to him, crouching down with his back hunched as the outstretched left fist would soar right overtop of his shoulder as the judge pushed upwards with his legs, slamming his back against Silver's front to drive the air out of him. All that force, put behind his fist would be wasted as his body would collide directly with another, cancelling the forward momentums of both people.

At this time, the judge would would reach up and over to the back of his head with his right arm as his fingers would take a grip around the back of Silver's neck to hold him in place. His left arm however, would slip around underneath Silver's exposed left side as his arm was over the judges shoulder. The arm would wrap around the man's lower back, but not in the way of gripping someone there, but merely holding him in place with the back of the forearm instead of the front, the back of his hand against the captain of Team Glacier's back.

And in that moment, when he would be grabbed on the judges back, in the dim lighting, ever single one of the sharp spines which lined the judges spinal column and the back or his forearms would angle outwards and drive out between the plates they were found inbetween, extending from his body to impale Silver Alexander. Around twenty odd times from his spine, and fifteen times in his lower back from the spines growing on the judge's left forearm.

Awashed in blood, the dark inferno which may ensue would not appear to affect the judge.

After the spines would sink into flesh, they'd retreat, leaving the wounds open as the judge would tilt his body foreward and hurl Silver over his shoulder. This of course, would actually make Silver's grab rather odd as the guyser of flames would erupt just as his entire body would be held vertically in the air in mid throw with his arms around the judges head.

And for the moments the pillar burned until it exploded, seperating the two figures. Silver would be launched straight into the air in this position, and the judge?

Well, seeing the grating of the stage completely collapsed in the area where the two were standing, it could only be assumed that he would have been blasted downwards into the flowing currents.