Rhezzo vs Ethan

HoH season 11. Source: valucre.net static Gaia dump.

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Sins of the Sun
Designated Hero
Sins of the Sun
Designated Hero
Sins of the Sun
Designated Hero

1Sins of the Sun

Mon Feb 07, 2011 10:09 am · id 296174141 · page 1

Note: You're going to want to put the Firebrand template up here.

The stench of gas was prevalent throughout the air around Rhezzo Dharrei. He sat alone, quite used to the silence that pervaded in this establishment. He noted that greasy rags lay in a steel bucket, near an electric outlet. The lone dwarf was busy cursing and mopping the floor slopping water all over the floor.

Rhezzo took this time to down a shot of this worlds selection of whiskey. It was pretty good, he supposed whenever he returned to Terrenus duplicating the recipe might be interesting. His back was turned to the door, leaving him a sitting duck it seemed. At first glance at least, the raven-hilted basket claymore Ravenbrand hanged nearly to the ground. A buckler strapped to his left arm remained idle. Jet-black hues would idle over to a nearby clock indicating about two minutes to midnight.

This armor was a bit stuffy, Rhezzo wondered who was to come through the door. Be it someone of malevolent intentions, or benevolent, though he couldn't be bothered with the moral dilemma. He would just kill he, or she; after they arrived. Whether or not they had a word with him or not didn't seem relevant. The least he could do for the poor sod, was get them a drink.

"Hey! Poor me two more glasses of that Jack-whatever the hell you call it."

The dwarf though he suspected wasn't his opponent, obeyed. It was kind of hard to tell a man dressed to kill, with a sword who could split a man in two; no. This coat he wore, which was quite long and sturdy hid a throwing axe at his back. Relatively well at least, even though felt it pressing to his back. It did a great job of hiding his body armor and pauldrons

Now the only thing that mattered was the guise of his opponent to come. Rhezzo's eye would glance down to the shot glasses, and wait patiently.

2Designated Hero

Mon Feb 07, 2011 1:40 pm · id 296191079 · page 1

"A bar? What kind of idiot would loan out their bar for a bunch of people to fight i-whaaat the hell?"

Ethan had pulled up to the Firebrand in his rental car without a second thought, but as he was approaching Gaia's most famous destructible landmark he couldn't help but notice the smell of gas and oil before even setting foot inside the building. Naturally, as any normal person would, Ethan stopped short of the door and rolled up his left sleeve to see if this was, in fact, the right place to be.

Swear to God that douche Bhudasan is trying to kill me.

Ethan shrugged his shoulders and decided that if it was his time to die, an explosion might as well be the way to go. His right hand came forward, Ethan lowered his head, and taking a deep breath to steel his courage, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Ethan wasn't really much of an imposing man. He was a hair over six feet in height but had a fairly average build. Whatever muscle tone Ethan had present on his body was disguised by the rather wrinkled black business suit he happened to be wearing. It was, undoubtedly, a weird outfit to wear to a scheduled fight, but Ethan had just spent the past six hours trying to sell insurance in a failed attempt to get out of fighting in Heaven or Hell in the first place.

Speaking of which, Ethan carried in his left hand a rather unassuming black leather briefcase. He took the time to set the briefcase down on the ground just long enough for him to slip off his suit coat and toss it onto a nearby coat rack. The black-haired young man with an extremely well-defined five-o-clock shadow was in the process of unbuttoning his cuffs before he even noticed that the bar was already occupied.

"Hm?"

Ethan's right hand came up and ran along the side of his head before he settled on scratching at the back of his neck.

"So you must be...eh..."

Ethan paused and looked at the FIGHTER on his left wrist one more time.

"Rhe...zzo? Rhezzo? You ready to do this thing or what?"

Ethan came off as being more impatient than rude. Not only had it been a long a time since Ethan had fought without the use of a giant mech, it was also a bit disturbing to be fighting in a place that looked like it could go up in flames at the drop of a hat.

3Sins of the Sun

Tue Feb 08, 2011 10:48 am · id 296303215 · page 1

Rhezzo turned around at the opening of the door to see a man dressed in a suit. For a minute he seemed caught in a trance, at seeing Ethan arrive in a ruffled suit. Unknown to Ethan though men in suits had played a major role in Rhezzo's past. It was as if he were looking at an agent for an organization he had once unknowingly contributed to. All the same it was the same organization that wanted him dead. Although there was little to say if Ethan was with those individuals, who made him into the monster he viewed himself as. Looking over to Ethan; Rhezzo glanced with a shrewd expression. The off-white texture of his skin made him look less then human. Though from a vampires perspective. Rhezzo was very much alive, with a life-force that would be very appetizing.

"Ah you must be Ethan, not to waste any of your time. However, it is a custom to share a drink with a man who is about to die in a tournament. Where I come from at least. If you don't mind of course."

Cool words, coming from a man who had been unnerved for but a second. Though that veil of meticulous calm won over the very nature that threatened to reveal itself. The gas from the burners tickled his nostrils, but they were easily ignored. This building was most likely a tournament spot because of that lone dwarf's need to keep it funded, perhaps. Though the impatient expression on Ethans face was a give-away he carried himself confidently. Shrugging to himself, Rhezzo moved from the bar-stool. Leaving the two shot-glasses on the table as he removed his coat from his shoulders. As his feet touched ground the visible screech of a wet floor reached their ears. Eyeing the mop, there was a clear pail of water, mixed with a bleach solution. A definite fire-hazard in an already doomed-to-burn structure. Rhezzo Allowing his opponent to visibly see the steel-mail adorned to his chest.

"I don't know about you, but I could swear that dwarf is trying to kill us."

Now it clearly came down to one thing, who would walk out of this inferno. Rhezzo was certain of one thing, better Ethan then him. Even if he rejected the drink which it wouldn't offend Rhezzo in the least. Judging Ethans size Six foot compared to Rhezzo's stature at 5'11. Although Rhezzo would move faster, and have longer range with the claymore at his side. Ethan had the reach to grapple him into submission. Gripping the handle of the Ravenbrand with a silent demeanor. Standing about 10 - 15 feet from where Ethan stood, the claymore had a reach of seven feet. There was no need to charge him, since Ethan held no visible weapons. Besides the briefcase, which may or may not be a weapon. It wouldn't be under-estimated though which herding Ethan away from it became a goal.

Faulty electrical work began the sonata, with sparks that showered the greasy rags. That inevitably began a grease-fire, underneath a shelf of. The fumes were slow to gather, but the smell was abhorrent. Rhezzo made aware took the opportunity to strike at Ethan. Stepping quickly the Ravenbrand made her steel song ring inside the tavern carrying an echo, that pervaded to death. The tip of the blade slashed to slice into the kidneys of Ethan that very second. Just to size-up the fighting stance of Ethan, whether or not that briefcase was a part of his opponents arsenal.

1/10

4Designated Hero

Tue Feb 08, 2011 1:58 pm · id 296319763 · page 1

As Rhezzo spoke, Ethan's eyes were scanning the vast majority of the bar, scouting out the various fire hazards as well as the local dwarven population. Ethan wasn't sure what to expect and, to be honest, an opponent who was busy introducing themselves was of far less importance than a building that was rigged to explode with all the intensity of a dying sun. Ethan's left hand dropped to his side, no longer tasked with unbuttoning his cuff and rolling up the sleeve.

"Well hell, I won't pass up a free drink."

Ethan was wary of his opponent, but at the same time he knew it was also against tournament rules to poison an opponent, either before or during a match. So, hey, free booze, right? Taking up his briefcase in his right hand, Ethan paced around Rhezzo, making sure to keep his shoulders square towards his opponent during the length of his trip to Shotsville. Ethan took up the whiskey in his left hand, then held it out towards his foe.

"Cheers."

And Ethan threw the whiskey back down his throat, hopefully without incurring a cheap shot to the neck in the process. Wiping his lower lip to catch any residual alcohol, Ethan sucked on his teeth before letting out a satisfied gasp of air. He was in the process of setting the shot glass down when Rhezzo commented about the dwarf trying to kill the both of them.

For whatever reason, that triggered Ethan's recollection of Rhezzo's offer for a drink.

"Wait, did you say it's customary to share a drink with someone who's about to di-WHOA!"

Ethan looked away from his glass just in time to catch a glimpse of his opponent stepping forward prior to slashing(?) at his torso. Instinctively Ethan jumped backwards, taking his empty shot glass up in his left hand as he did so.

Now, business shoes aren't really known for their traction near the balls of the feet, and the amount of standing water left on the bare wooden floorboards allowed Ethan to land on the balls of his feet, causing him to slide backwards just enough to avoid being cut open by his opponents opening attack. His dress shirt wasn't so lucky, practically being ripped in half by the slash. Underneath, however, wasn't bare skin. A black material of unknown durability rested just underneath the dress shirt, though it looked as though the "armor" couldn't have been any thicker than a quarter of an inch judging by how flexible it was.

Alright. If that's how you wanna do things...

LET'S ROCK

Ethan's slide halted the moment he slammed his heels to the ground, but the same lack of friction that allowed him to slide out of harm's way would also preclude him from simply rushing in to take advantage of his opponent's recovery time. Ethan needed to give his opponent something to think about, and so his first course of action came in the form of him stepping forward with his right foot and chucking the now-empty shot glass held in his left hand directly at his opponent's face (as a shot to the armored chest would have been pointless).

Immediately upon following through with the throw Ethan grabbed his briefcase with both hands and charged straight at his opponent. It didn't take much, two big steps at the most, to get within the sword's reach. Once Ethan got that close he pushed his arms outwards, pushing his briefcase into Rhezzo's chest in an attempt to throw his slightly smaller opponent off balance. Whether or not he was successful in that attempt didn't matter, as Ethan soon followed up by unleashing a heavy right hand directed straight at his foe's left temple.

[1/10]

5Sins of the Sun

Thu Feb 10, 2011 11:21 am · id 296573683 · page 1

Rhezzo's opening onslaught might have been seen as a cheap shot, without warning. However it proved marginally successful, it gave Rhezzo a little information about Ethan in the begining. He was armored in a kind of flak-vest that would absorb impacts. Whether it was made to inhibit the slash of a sword remained to be seen. A melancholy grin etched itself on Rhezzo's face, the thrill of combat always did such a thing. However there was little time to enjoy this thrill as a shot-glass flew to his face. A cunning move, that was aimed to make Rhezzo, think on the fly. Rhezzo responded by tilting his head to the right, allowing the glass to sail perilously close to his forehead. A shatter of not only the shot glass, but of a bottle of vodka occurred. When Ethans vigor made both break under the pressure.

Then that briefcase which Rhezzo hadn't forgot about was being used as a battering ram. Which of course was to close for Rhezzo to counter with, since it was within his swords range. Rhezzo could only respond by puffing up his chest, and flexing. Bending his knee's slightly to cushion the blow barely. The wet-floor screeched as Rhezzo was nearly knocked off his feet, he stopped a foot in front of the bar-stool he sat at. But Ethan didn't stop there, most likely figuring he had the advantage of momentum. A right hand from Ethan would fire to knock Rhezzo silly. Would be met with the left hand armed with a buckler. Clenching his arm, and hand, Rhezzo parried with the shield, to give Ethan something to think about. As he'd fire with his fist, Rhezzo took the time to step out of this foreboding corner Ethan wanted him in. Stepping to the right, then turning to where the Ravenbrand was on the outside of Ethans back. Rhezzo slashed for the back of Ethans neck. Since that seemed to be the only portion on Ethan that wasn't armored. Expecting a counter attack from Ethan, the buckler was raised above his belt-line. In expectation a round-house would come from his opponent.

Meanwhile the shattered bottle of Vodka spilled over the shelf, and came to the edge. The contents dripped onto the inflamed rags, fueling the fire even more. The flames would kindle to the floor, and mix with the bleach. Creating a chemical fire that spread over the bar-floor. As the fire brushed with the counter-top. Bottles began to shatter, as the heat cooked the bottles to their melting point. Adding more fuel to an already fatal blaze, the heat and smoke began to spread to the ceiling. Cutting down the oxygen in the room minutely.

2/10

6Designated Hero

Thu Feb 10, 2011 2:52 pm · id 296596339 · page 1

Everything was going according to plan. Ethan had managed to get within Rhezzo's guard without getting stabbed full of holes and, even though the entire building was on fire, Ethan was surely well on his way to getting a quick knockout before the establishment collapsed in on top of him

Hah! Caught ya lookin' you bast-

CLANG

"********!"

Believe it or not, punching solid metal was not a pleasant experience, particularly when said metal object appeared unexpectedly. Ethan barely had enough time to yelp in pain when his opponent moved to nullify Ethan's advance as Rhezzo stepped to the side, freeing up his sword for another swing at Ethan's decidedly fleshy body.

Ethan wasn't just nursing his hand the entire time this was going on, though. After all, it would have been pretty damned foolish to just let a guy with a sword feel comfortable during any portion of the fight. As Rhezzo stepped and turned to get a slash in with his sword, Ethan stepped inwards again, turning on his heel and this time sitting into a squat while ducking his head just as the Ravenbrand began its approach, allowing Ethan to keep his head attached to his shoulders for just a little while longer.

As Ethan sat down into the squat his left hand opened up, releasing the briefcase it had been holding. If Rhezzo were attuned to the spiritual arts or any form of energy manipulation he probably could have noticed that, in the time it takes to blink an eye, Ethan's left hand had taken on a blue aura.

And as Rhezzo's Ravenbrand completed its strike, Ethan lashed out with his left hand moving it from left to right across his body and aiming to strike his palm against the side of the buckler that he had just punched not long ago. Once (and if) the palm made contact, Rhezzo would have to contend with the surprise of an improvised shove that was twice as strong as it appeared capable of being.

Hopefully with the buckler knocked out of the way, Ethan would then simply follow up by exploding out of his squat as he attempted an uppercut with the same throbbing right hand he had used before. The fist this time was directed just underneath Rhezzo's chin, and while it didn't have enough force to lift a fully armored man off the ground, it certainly had enough pop behind it to ring somebody's bell for a few seconds.

[2/10]