Current mood:	Violent and whatnot
Current music:	TAKA - V

EGC: THE FIGHTING
*This post was a joint VS-Setsuna production!*

*Last time we saw the Fearsome Foursome, they were preparing to fight the Architects for possession of the Symphony Arrow. Let the fun begin!*


Lazarus: *grins* Omoshiroi.

*Without another word, she whips her scarf forward, snapping it around a light pole. The scarf immediately pulls taut and hurls her forward at top speed towards Condemnation. She flips around in mid-air as she hurls forward, and delivers a solid kick to the middle of the Stand's chest.*

Saika: *Reels back with her Stand* Whoo! You kick pretty hard for a norm. And you can see it too, huh? *Grins* I'm with you...this place is interesting. *Condemnation's arms fold over its chest in a defensive stance, standing between Saika and Lazarus* Show me another, babe!

Lazarus: Heh...

*Using the force from her kick, she somersaults in the air up above Condemnation. While in the air, she whips the scarf down, wrapping it around the Stand's torso, and using it to hurl herself down at its head at
top speed.*

Saika: *Just waits...*

*...And as Lazarus' foot draws within a hair's breadth of Condemnation, there is the briefest pause as the force of the blow twists, turns, and reverses itself--the power of Lazarus' kick sent hurtling right back at Lazarus, striking her in the head*

*The blow from the kick sends Lazarus flying, eventually making contact with the ground again with a great big THUD.*

Lazarus: OW. *sitting up and rubbing her head* What the hell was THAT?

Saika: *Cracks her knuckles* That was a demonstration of why only half of a Stand fight is actual fighting. *Grins* The other half is research. 'Kay, gonna pound you now.

*Condemnation shoots forward like a rocket, unleashing a pummeling barrage, its fists falling like the blows from a jackhammer*

Lazarus: GAH!

*She whips the scarf forward and around a lamp pole, yanking herself up and out of the way just in time. But one of the punches lands squarely on the pole, leaving a large dent. And the pole begins to buckle and bend.*

Lazarus: *up at the top of the pole* Well, -shit-.

Saika: *Grins and starts to hum a little tune* ~The itsy-bitsy spider went up the water spout...~ *WHAM goes the fist of her Stand into the already-damaged pole* ~Down came the rain and washed the spider out...~

Lazarus: Like Hell I'm falling for that one. *whips her scarf up, latching it around something on the roof of the bar, launching herself up and onto the edge of the roof.*

Saika: ...Fuck. Now I have to _chase_ you.

*But as Saika's readying herself for a leap, a cool, familiar voice speaks from behind Lazarus*

Ahead: I should tell her it's not worth it. *Smiles a thin, tight-lipped smile* You're not her opponent anymore.

Lazarus: *turning* Siga Recto? *smirks* Heh. I should've known you were behind this.

*Her eyes gleam with madness...*

Lazarus: Going to call off your dogs? Or will I have to fight you AND all of them?

Siga: *Glares daggers as Lazarus speaks her name* They have only one role in all of this. That role is finished.

*Meanwhile...*

Cinco: I call the muscle-y one! :D

Orihime: *Cracks the joints in her neck, saying nothing as she goes into a dead charge, hunched forward with her fists covering her face, like a boxer; and then Bloody Sunday's left fist sweeps out and up, aiming an uppercut right at Cinco's chin*

*Cinco dodges the uppercut easily with a standing flip, which doubles as an attack with her two sharp ponytails, both of which slice easily into Bloody Sunday's outstretched fist.*

Orihime: GAH! *Grits her teeth as blood spurts from the back of her hand as well* Sonofa...*She approaches more cautiously this time, hurling a low jab at Cinco's stomach*

*Cinco easily cartwheels out of the way, slicing again with her ponytails.*

Orihime: *Takes the hits in the stomach* FUCKING DAMMIT

Cinco: Not fast enough~! :D

*She flies towards Bloody Sunday with a series of flips and turns, slicing at such a speed as to resemble the innards of a large, golden blender.*

Orihime: ...!

*She recalls Bloody Sunday, the Stand phasing half-into her, and _leaps_--letting the Stand's strength and her own combine, propelling her over Cinco. Orihime makes no counterattack as of yet, though.*

Orihime: *She's got me on the defensive already...this sucks! Gotta get past those braids somehow...*

*Cinco simply cartwheels out of the way, slicing with her hair as she does so.*

Orihime: *Only gets grazed, as she's put distance between herself and Cinco* Okay...looks like it's Kamikaze time...

*Bloody Sunday moves forward, and with their arms raised to protect their faces, Stand and user once again enter the breach--a big, fast push meant to simply break Cinco's defenses, self-preservation be damned*

*Amazingly enough, the push connects with Cinco's legs as she's cartwheeling. The force of the push knocks her off balance, and she lands squarely on her face.*

Cinco: ...ow.

Orihime: This is it...!

*Bloody Sunday raises a fist...and brings it swinging down towards Cinco like a sledgehammer*

*Cinco rolls out of the way just in time, but the ground next to her cracks under the force of the punch.*

Cinco: *eyes wide* ....holy CRAP.

Orihime: *Grins, raising her other fist* You have no idea how badly I just want to punch you right now...but I'll accept a surrender.

Quatro: Awww, no fair. *snorts* Ah well. *She points at Shi-rin with her claw, which begins to grow quite large.* You're mine!

Shi-rin: Taken, I'm afraid. *Giggles* But I'll play with you for a while anyway. *Runs in, ducking low, sweeping out one long leg to knock Quatro off her feet*

Quatro: *leaps into the air* Ha! Not going to fall for that one! *She slices forward with her claw. It grows incredibly big as she does so.*

Shi-rin: *Rolls aside--but not quite fast enough; she catches a slice in the side that makes her hiss in pain*

*As she leaps to her feet again, however, she's smiling...and the brilliant aura around her begins to change. The colors swirl and gather in patterns--wrenching, spiralling, nauseous patterns. So odd and nauseating as to cause some quite unpleasant reactions in anyone who might, say, be looking at them...*

Quatro: Ooh. *Suddenly looking a little sick, stumbling around a bit...* Can't... look... *shields her eyes with her free hand, jabbing blindly with her claw*

Shi-rin: *Jumps away from Quatro's blows and snaps her fingers...and her Stand expands, growing into a shimmering curtain that encircles them both, a ring of those same sickening patterns* Hmmm...how long will you be able to shut it out, I wonder? *Throws herself forward again, this time with a kick aimed for the temple*

*And then, with her eyes clamped shut, Quatro starts attacking Shi-rin with the claw, slashing and jabbing wildly. Then she stops, just as suddenly as she started.*

Shi-rin: *Pauses mid-kick* Huh?

*WILD ATTACK! And then nothing.*

Shi-rin: *Hmmmms...* Aaah, but of course...waiting for me to give some sign of my location. Like attacking...or maybe talking? *Smiles* Hello! Right here, a little to the left!

Quatro: *attacking... well, blindly* Damn it! I knew I should've practiced this stuff more often! XP

*Unfortunately, her accuracy is near ZILCH. She proceeds to jab the heck out of the air to Shi-rin's right.*

Shi-rin: *Sighs* I almost feel sorry for you. Almost. *Hooks an arm around Quatro's arm as it's extended, holding it tight as she brings her knee up in a quick strike to Quatro's elbow*

*CRACK*

*Quatro opens her eyes wide as she lets out a stream of interesting obscenities... and turns green again.*

Quatro: Oooh. DAMN IT.

Shi-rin: *Grins*

*Shi-rin pulls one hand back, her body coiling like a spring, tensing briefly...only to unwind in a multicolored blur, all of her strength focused into a single open-palmed blow to Quatro's stomach, sending the Architect hurtling out of the ring of color and down to the pavement*

Siete: *trembling as she pulls her gun out of its hilt* Uh... I guess... you're mine? Desert Rose? ^_^;;

Kurenai: Tsk, tsk. I'll take that.

*Desert Rose flies at Siete, reaching out with both hands--and the veins on its palms and forearms seem to _open_, pouring forth a viscous black muck that seeks to engulf Siete's hands*

Kurenai: Liquid asphault, in case you were wondering...*Smiles sweetly*

Siete: AAAAH! *tries to scrape it off* Oh, shitshitshit...

Kurenai: *Just gives another sweet smile as her Stand pulls, stripping the gun...and a fair bit of skin...from Siete's hand*

Siete: *screams* AAAAAAAH! *Grips her hands, panting and staring in utter horror at them*

*Desert Rose tosses the gun at Kurenai's feet*

Kurenai: *Dusts off her hands* Well then. Are we done?

Siete: *wails* MY HANDS!

Kurenai: *Puts her foot over the gun* I'll take that as a "yes." Good work, Desert Rose.

*The Stand disappears within the blossom from which it came, and the blossom closes its petals and disappears*

Siete: *whimpering and basically absorbed in contemplation of her own injuries*

Kurenai: *Sighs, seeing the state Siete's in, and walks slowly towards the Architect* Umm...this may sound strange, but let's go somewhere you can get help for your injuries, okay? The fight's over...there's no need for you to suffer.

Siete: *backing up like a cornered animal, staring at Kurenai and whimpering as she does so*

Kurenai: *Kneels down, not coming any closer* I promise I won't hurt you anymore. It was nothing personal to begin with...



*And so it goes. Poor Architects! To be continued...*