(no subject)

[mnt_raph]

*As far as Raph is concerned, there is nothing else in the world but Melaka Fray. No door. No lake. No cold biting his flesh. Nothing but her.

He hates her.
And tonight, he will end her if he can.

Raphael flies through the air, still at the mercy of momentum. Training has taught him what he needs to do. Reflex allows him to do it. He turns in such a way as to land in a crouch, already poised to spring into action. Light flashes as he retrieves his sai from his utility belt.

He growls.*

Comments

[mnt_raph]

*He lands, swiveling for another attack, when the broad arch of the blade sweeps into his vision. As he bends back to avoid the strike, his grip on the sai shifts. Just below the axe head his sai-reinforced-forarm catches the pole. The scythe stops dead in its path.

His free hand fists, and lashes out.
Right into the back of her head.

never turn your back on an enemy.*

[slayer_fray]

There are times when being inordinately thick-skulled has its advantage. This is one of them.

She grunts, and her head rocks forward briefly, but snaps back. At the same time she yanks the scythe back against its arm, slashing it with the inside cutting edge of the blade.

Dropping her reverse shoulder, she throws the wooden end into its ribs with a cracking blow.

[mnt_raph]

*He crumples forward, hissing in pain. A quick wiggle of his fingers tell him that while the cut along his arm is deep, his tendons have not been severed.

He throws a wild punch towards her kidneys, while the rest of him regroups for a low round house kick aimed at knocking her off her feet.*

[slayer_fray]

She's light on her feet anyway, when fighting, and fast. She rides the blow from the punch, seemingly unhurt, and pulls her

(sword and your scepter)

weapon into one hand, jumping to kick it in the face before it can get her.

[mnt_raph]

*Her heavily booted foot makes impact with his jaw which then dislocates with a loud and satisfying crack. Ignoring the now familar pain of getting his head bootstomped, Raph manages to capture her ankle with right hand. The left, still screaming from the slice, spins the grip on the sai. He traps her ankle between the spines on the sai, and twists.*

[slayer_fray]

Hissing in more anger than pain, she twists her hips along the same movement to jam the stake end of her scythe into the ground, and use it as a pivot to pull her foot out of its claws.

The desert floor is harder than she expected, and the move isn't as perfect as she intended, but it works, and she breaks free, recovering the weapon quickly.

[mnt_raph]

*It's not much, but he'll take any break he can get at this point. He rolls backwards, pulling himself into a more suitable defensive stance.

Without breaking eyecontact, he snaps his jaw back and up into place. Then as if that point wasn't made clear enough, he spits in her direction.*

[slayer_fray]

She can't seem to get a handle on what type this is, but more than a few spit venom, so its safest to dodge.

As much as she can dodge, because she's not giving it a chance to recover, launching herself off her good foot, stake out in front. She narrowly misses the spit.

[mnt_raph]

*He tries to wait for her to come to him, but she's favoring one ankle and so skittish about a little blood, that Raph can't help himself.

Pommel side out on one, prongs on another, he leaps at her a second time.

If he can wrest that axe out of her hands, then he's home free....*

[slayer_fray]

(Now he's pissed)

As it comes at her this time, she spins the scythe around so the blade slices up, and towards its torso.

(But so am I)

And pivots, twinnning that attack with a turning kick with her supposedly twisted foot.

[mnt_raph]

*Raph catches the blade between the prongs of one sai, but the punch he tries to connect with the other is thwarted by her kick, throwing him to the side.

He doesn't land, but rather directs his momentum so that he merely rolls back to his feet.

A throwing knife gleams in the light, and whips towards her.*

[slayer_fray]

She doesn't stop to wonder where it got hold of one of her knives. She just catches and returns it, not stopping as her own moment propels her forward at it.

(I'm pissed like this rutting beast can't conceive)

Her scythe switches and slashes in her other hand, and she doesn't stop.

[mnt_raph]

*Not quite what he was expecting, but it works. Now she's the one on the move, and the bull has turned mattador.

He easily ducks out of the knife's path, all the while preparing himself for the hit that sure to come. He's not too worried, even with momentum she can't weigh more than a buck ten...and that's dripping wet. Plus, waving that axe around raises her center of gravity just enough to break them even.

His eyes track the blade. In order to be effective a weapon like that has to remain in motion. If he can stop it moving, he might be able to stop her moving....and then he has her.

He braces for impact.*

[slayer_fray]

And the impact comes. From a different direction.

(I'm a lifetime of pissed)

the hand not swinging the scythe in front of her has pulled out her Star metal knife and lunged it under the scythe, for a quick wild stab.

(of strong)

She pulls back. Never leave a weapon and drops to sweep kick in case it's still standing.

(of muscle built over bruise)

[mnt_raph]

GAHH!

*Taken by surprise he can't help but cry out in pain as the knife embeds itself in his thigh, only to be torn out again. She sweeps the wounded leg, but not before he levels another sai-reinforced punch straight for her head.*

[slayer_fray]

Again, it knocks her head forward sharply, and again she grunts and snaps back, face hard and determined even if her eyes don't seem to be focusing properly.

(I'm slick with power)

She spins and jumps at it, launching her entire diminutive weight forward behind her blade.

[mnt_raph]

*It's wrong. This is going all wrong. He lands hard on the wrong leg. Wrong. There's no time to roll before she's on him. So she has to roll, it's the only solution. Raph drops a sai and grabs the bisento...wrong not bisento...scythe...just in time to keep it from halving him again, but not before it slices the very tip of his nose.

In one solid movement he throws her off and sends her sprawling.*

[slayer_fray]

(I feel the fight as it changes)

She lands on her face as it throws her into the - cold wet dark red dirt and tastes blood on the edges of her senses. But she's not paying attention.

(As it flows)

She flips over onto her back, and grabs her scythe from where it lies above her head, just before she goes to flip onto her feet...

[mnt_raph]

*Raph kicks up to his feet, but he doesn't stick the landing. Through gritted teeth he manages to growl...*

stay....down

*Before hefting his remaining hand held sai at her uninjured foot. The sheer force alone allows it to pierce the heavy leather of her boots.*

[slayer_fray]

(Everything into...

"AAAAARGH!"

Mel screams as the claw pierces the boot, through into her foot. It's only the thick sole that prevents it from pinning her to the ground, and she kicks up violently to dislodge the rutter, or at least send it off balance.

[mnt_raph]

no.

*Raph growls as she gets to her feet. He retrieves his fallen sai, holding it by the far end of the center prong.*

no. you didn't beat me.
you're a liar.
YOU CHEATED!

*He grabs the front of her shirt, lifting her off the ground, all the while holding the sai. His whole body vibrating with anger and pain...and maybe the slightest glimmer of memory...

Raphael doesn't move.
Like last time, there's no hand there to stop him...but this time he doesn't move.*

[slayer_fray]

She doesn't care whether it's moving or not -

- part of her is trying to get her attention about the sounds it's making -

- she just cares about getting out of its grasp. She grabs it by the forearm to steady herself and kicks up and towards it, with first one foot and then the other.

[mnt_raph]

*Words fail him. Thoughts fail him. His training fails him. Everything, that isn't a dry raspy groan, fails him.

The sai drops from his hand as he releases her shirt and he buckles.
From the pain. From the memories. From the guilt.
He just falls to the ground before her.*

[slayer_fray]

She lands on her injured foot, and cries out again in pain, staggering back, and closes her tears filled eyes briefly

No time to feel sorry for herself, she's had worse, and she has a fight to finish.

...place)

Shifting onto her twisted ankle, she throws herself up at it to knock it to the ground, staff again held horizontally to help the effort, and lands on its torso.

(Perfect)

She sweeps the scythe back and up, ready to deliver the final slice.

(I finally do what I was born to do)

[mnt_raph]

*Raph is thrown onto his back.
Bruised. Bloodied. Beaten.
Coughing wracks his body, which only serves to cause more pain.

He could grab for a weapon, as he's hardly unarmed.
But he doesn't.
The pain isn't so severe that he couldn't stand.
But he doesn't do that either.

No, instead he tilts his head to one side, giving her a better view of his neck. Between coughs, and with a broken voices he manages to whisper.*

do it.
make it quick.
please.