Post by Blackwater on Jul 28, 2013 7:52:46 GMT -5
“Why that slippery little cod!” Alice snapped, tassels of fiery red hair whipping about as her and the others rushed to catch up with the fleeing pirate.
Tang understood her frustration, but exhaustion and his bleeding nose left him little room than to her cajole her into composure. As they ran through the base, ‘the Nine’ made quick work of any marines that stood their ground though the number of times any aggression was required were few considering how many officers had retreated at the sight of Jack Dancer. It would appear that everyone in the base has already been notified about the Commodore’s defeat; this could be trouble. Lost as he was in thought he nearly ran over General Morn who had stopped abruptly; everyone had stopped. “What’s going…?”
The remainder of his sentence dropped off as wallowing shape supplanted itself in their path. Tattered strips of blue still clung to the refined musculature of the Ensign, but the face that had been so handsome haughty was now slack and the skin shale. Tang paid no mind to the apparent condition of the young man who had been the start of this entire affair; he only cared that because this person had captured Bray, Sam would live with the nightmare of killing his only son for the remainder of his days. A look of unrestrained viciousness must have come to his face because he felt Alice’s hand on his shoulder, a gentle reminder that they was still an escape to follow-through on. Torn between retribution and salvation, Tang sighed as he approached with both hands held high,
“Commodore Yoi has already been defeated,” he stated frankly, his voice flat with the effort of keeping exhaustion from it, “There’s nothing to fight for here. Jack Dancer has already escaped B-2. Please let us pass.”
Shoutei Soshi stood his ground irreverently. Where there had once been control in the boy’s mannerism there was an ugly anger that festered in the intensity of the grip on his katana hilt. “Goodness gracious. You tell me that the Commodore has been beaten and the most high-profile prisoner we’ve had in a long time has escaped…then expect me to allow you, the cause of all of it, to simply escape?”
I tried. Without thinking Tang threw himself into battle. Hot emotions of excitement, exhaustion, and revulsion at what he was doing warred within him. The balance of the elements swirled chaotically through his spirit as his fist shot forward with no particular purpose. Regardless of looks, the prodigal swordsman was a formidable opponent. Adjusting his head just enough to evade the errant punch, he thumped Tang’s abdomen by half-drawing the katana and striking him with the butt of the hilt. Air rushed out of him as he staggered back and the taste of his own blood filled his mouth as a hand on the floor was the only thing that steadied him before he fell. Blood began to drip on the ground in a string of plops and Tang’s face twisted in pain as the wound one of the Bray’s monster creations had given him reopened. Soshi’s anger gave way to thrilled overconfidence that Tang had remembered him having in their previous fight. Things are different now. I’mdifferent now. he told himself, not knowing whether it was true or not.
A footstep beside him warned that one of the others was stepping up, but he barred them for continuing any further. Without looking up he knew it was Alice. For all her pugnaciousness she had a fierce sense of loyalty that would drive her to sacrifice herself in a heartbeat for anyone she believed to be a friend, “Not this time…please…ugh…” Tang groaned, his body nearly collapsing before Alice’s arms caught him around the shoulders, “Don’t interfere.” he panted.
Even though he managed to get to his feet he struggled to keep both eyes open due to tiredness. His lungs sucked hungrily at the air which never seemed to be enough, but he willed himself to remain strong. Salty sweat slid onto his tongue and he tasted it with a smile on his face; this was what a true battle was like. Charging forward with an upraised fist he observed Soshi keenly as the swordsman took his bait and rushed forward as well, sword held back in one hand while his free hand was extended before him. A thrust! I’ve got to avoid it!.
Tang knew this was the end. It would be an utter victory or defeat for him and likely if he lost he would die from his numerous injuries. Barely a meter away from one another the katana shot forward with the speed of a bullet, its steel surface blurring towards Tang who ducked into a roll and clambered deftly to his feet well within Soshi’s guard. Now it was Tang’s fist who was cocked back in an arrow and with a slight hop into the air he drilled into the deer-eyed Ensign’s chest with every intention to end the young man’s life,
“Shin’irikugo: Bateihoken!”
His fist burrowed into the soft flesh of Soshi’s body, cracking the rib instantly and as Tang’s feet floated back to the ground he knew all it would take to end his enemy’s life would be the quick twist of his wrist. For a long time he considered the naked fear in the proud navy boy’s eyes. So much had gone into rising to his current level and it was not the fear of death that Tang saw—the boy feared that his life work had been for nothing. As with Bray, the moment of death came and passed with Tang holding back unable to consume the life of another simply because they had done him harm. Shoutei dropped to the ground, blood dropping to a floor in a waterfall from his lips. Gurgling on the seemingly endless flow the Ensign stared into Tang’s eyes with the same question that Tang internalized within himself: Why was he still alive?
There was no time for the answer as all feeling left Tang’s legs and he dropped to his knees as well. Now he and the Ensign were both eye-level, both on the verge of passing out, yet in the clarity of that moment the victor between them was determined; Tang had won. “I…di…did it…” he spluttered before succumbing to the world of red that awaited him.
Tang understood her frustration, but exhaustion and his bleeding nose left him little room than to her cajole her into composure. As they ran through the base, ‘the Nine’ made quick work of any marines that stood their ground though the number of times any aggression was required were few considering how many officers had retreated at the sight of Jack Dancer. It would appear that everyone in the base has already been notified about the Commodore’s defeat; this could be trouble. Lost as he was in thought he nearly ran over General Morn who had stopped abruptly; everyone had stopped. “What’s going…?”
The remainder of his sentence dropped off as wallowing shape supplanted itself in their path. Tattered strips of blue still clung to the refined musculature of the Ensign, but the face that had been so handsome haughty was now slack and the skin shale. Tang paid no mind to the apparent condition of the young man who had been the start of this entire affair; he only cared that because this person had captured Bray, Sam would live with the nightmare of killing his only son for the remainder of his days. A look of unrestrained viciousness must have come to his face because he felt Alice’s hand on his shoulder, a gentle reminder that they was still an escape to follow-through on. Torn between retribution and salvation, Tang sighed as he approached with both hands held high,
“Commodore Yoi has already been defeated,” he stated frankly, his voice flat with the effort of keeping exhaustion from it, “There’s nothing to fight for here. Jack Dancer has already escaped B-2. Please let us pass.”
Shoutei Soshi stood his ground irreverently. Where there had once been control in the boy’s mannerism there was an ugly anger that festered in the intensity of the grip on his katana hilt. “Goodness gracious. You tell me that the Commodore has been beaten and the most high-profile prisoner we’ve had in a long time has escaped…then expect me to allow you, the cause of all of it, to simply escape?”
I tried. Without thinking Tang threw himself into battle. Hot emotions of excitement, exhaustion, and revulsion at what he was doing warred within him. The balance of the elements swirled chaotically through his spirit as his fist shot forward with no particular purpose. Regardless of looks, the prodigal swordsman was a formidable opponent. Adjusting his head just enough to evade the errant punch, he thumped Tang’s abdomen by half-drawing the katana and striking him with the butt of the hilt. Air rushed out of him as he staggered back and the taste of his own blood filled his mouth as a hand on the floor was the only thing that steadied him before he fell. Blood began to drip on the ground in a string of plops and Tang’s face twisted in pain as the wound one of the Bray’s monster creations had given him reopened. Soshi’s anger gave way to thrilled overconfidence that Tang had remembered him having in their previous fight. Things are different now. I’mdifferent now. he told himself, not knowing whether it was true or not.
A footstep beside him warned that one of the others was stepping up, but he barred them for continuing any further. Without looking up he knew it was Alice. For all her pugnaciousness she had a fierce sense of loyalty that would drive her to sacrifice herself in a heartbeat for anyone she believed to be a friend, “Not this time…please…ugh…” Tang groaned, his body nearly collapsing before Alice’s arms caught him around the shoulders, “Don’t interfere.” he panted.
Even though he managed to get to his feet he struggled to keep both eyes open due to tiredness. His lungs sucked hungrily at the air which never seemed to be enough, but he willed himself to remain strong. Salty sweat slid onto his tongue and he tasted it with a smile on his face; this was what a true battle was like. Charging forward with an upraised fist he observed Soshi keenly as the swordsman took his bait and rushed forward as well, sword held back in one hand while his free hand was extended before him. A thrust! I’ve got to avoid it!.
Tang knew this was the end. It would be an utter victory or defeat for him and likely if he lost he would die from his numerous injuries. Barely a meter away from one another the katana shot forward with the speed of a bullet, its steel surface blurring towards Tang who ducked into a roll and clambered deftly to his feet well within Soshi’s guard. Now it was Tang’s fist who was cocked back in an arrow and with a slight hop into the air he drilled into the deer-eyed Ensign’s chest with every intention to end the young man’s life,
“Shin’irikugo: Bateihoken!”
His fist burrowed into the soft flesh of Soshi’s body, cracking the rib instantly and as Tang’s feet floated back to the ground he knew all it would take to end his enemy’s life would be the quick twist of his wrist. For a long time he considered the naked fear in the proud navy boy’s eyes. So much had gone into rising to his current level and it was not the fear of death that Tang saw—the boy feared that his life work had been for nothing. As with Bray, the moment of death came and passed with Tang holding back unable to consume the life of another simply because they had done him harm. Shoutei dropped to the ground, blood dropping to a floor in a waterfall from his lips. Gurgling on the seemingly endless flow the Ensign stared into Tang’s eyes with the same question that Tang internalized within himself: Why was he still alive?
There was no time for the answer as all feeling left Tang’s legs and he dropped to his knees as well. Now he and the Ensign were both eye-level, both on the verge of passing out, yet in the clarity of that moment the victor between them was determined; Tang had won. “I…di…did it…” he spluttered before succumbing to the world of red that awaited him.