2870/WMAT AQ1 Iria vs Cortex

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WMAT AQ1 Iria vs Cortex
Date of Scene: 21 August 2015
Location: Papaya Island - Stadium
Synopsis: Iria vs Cortex in the Bracket A WMAT qualifiers!
Cast of Characters: 215, 414, 769
Tinyplot: WMAT 2015


Demetrios Vasilikos (769) has posed:
    The main stadium is pretty big! Maybe this is only a qualifier, but a number of people are seated in the stands... Even if they aren't quite full. Standing in the ring is a man in a black body suit with purple swirls across its surface. His blonde hair comes out the top of his mask, with openings for his eyes, nose, and mouth, and leather gloves and boots on his hands and feet respectively. This is Cortex's first time doing something like this. He's a super hero, not a martial artist or whatever. So there's a degree of nervousness there.

    He's also used to fighting bad guys, not just random people, so there's that too.

    Adding onto his anxiety is the fact that the winner of each bracket gets a LOT of money that could seriously help out Vasilikos Laboratories with providing medical care to those who can't afford it. Cortex knows Dr. Vasilikos is especially interested in those Lost right now, and their odd mutations, though there's also been a shift towards research into cybernetics and prosthetics. All valuable areas of medical science, and all expensive as well.

    Can he really make it through the tournament? Even to finish third place, let alone first? He doesn't know. But as the psychic hero looks around at the audience, and scans for his opponent, he knows he'll have to put everything he has into this.

Iria (215) has posed:
    Meanwhile, Iria is also used to fighting bad guys, and unlike others who might be taking part, she's just a young seventeen-year-old girl who looks small but packs a huge punch. After all, she's a bounty hunter who's used to taking on challenges of all kinds while showing no signs of fear of any sort. She's small but has a big thing contained inside of her. And to her, taking part in the WMAT is a chance to improve her fighting skills. Which is why she's seen here.

    Stepping out into the fighting area, Iria waves around and smiles confidently as she makes her way towards the center. Her stride is quick and confident and her eyes are open just enough to indicate that she's definitely focused on her fight and doing her best. There's no sign of hesitation in her step as she approaches the fighting area where she'll be fighting.

Revan (414) has posed:
     Sadly, Lowri was unable to register this year due to being stuck out in the middle of space at the time for the second year in a row. It sounded interesting, and it wouldn't have been the first time participating in arena matches. But the Taris ring was /nothing/ like this, with the stadium packed, nearly every seat filled. Of course, the Outer Rim world had been under a Sith blockade which reduced the duelists to a grand total of five people and a limited audience of bored Upper City nobility, so nearly anything would have seemed grander by comparison. It certainly seemed like more fun and a bigger challenge, particularly when the competitors were multiversal Elites. That made things considerably more exciting.

     Today, however, the Jedi was here specifically to cheer someone on. After various missions in Paragon City, she had taken a liking to the young psychic hero and friend of Dr. Vasilikos. She felt that she owed it to him to encourage him even in a friendly match.

     Among the noise of the crowds, there was a piercing whistle from the upper stands. Should Cortex look up to it, he would spot the tall, grinning platinum-haired woman in the civilian attire she typically wore in Paragon, waving.

Demetrios Vasilikos (769) has posed:
    Demetrios himself couldn't make it due to work, but assured Cortex he'd be watching from the lab. Even so, Cortex is gladdened when he notices a familiar face following a sharp whistle. Some of his nervousness melts away and he gives a grin and a thumbsup to Revan. Right as Iria arrives too! He turns to look at her, not judging her by appearances. There are many unusual, young, old, or otherwise deceptively-appearing heroes (and villains) in Paragon City who can do things one would never imagine based on how they look. In some ways, it's a great city to prepare one for the Multiverse.

    Cortex salutes Iria and says, "Glad to meet you! Iria, right? I'm Cortex! I'll be your opponent for this match. I hope we'll be both do our best and maybe even have some fun in the process!" He seems cheerful and friendly enough! A referee will be out any moment to start the fight.

    Cortex doesn't know anything about his opponent, but he's hoping that won't put him at too much of a disadvantage. He's already fairly flimsy thanks to not being a front-line combatant.

Iria (215) has posed:
    Iria taps her fists together and returns the salute. "Yeah, I'm Iria, an elite bounty hunter and I'm here to win this match!" She grins a little at that. She doesn't know who Revan is, so she brushes her off for the most part, though it's not meant to be personal at all in any way. "I'm looking forward to a good fight, so don't hold anything back!"

    Shortly after Iria finishes her little speech, the referee appears and explains the rules. Iria listens intently, then waits for the signal to begin. When that signal is given, Iria wastes no time in getting underway. "Here we go!" Iria yells as she rushes in and quickly delivers a forwards kick.

Demetrios Vasilikos (769) has posed:
    As noted, Cortex is not much of a front-line fighter. So he has little defense against the sudden high-speed kick! He at least doesn't waste time flinching and cringing from the pain, and instead just backs up out of range a little bit. "Ow! Haha! You kick pretty hard! Okay, I guess it's... My turn? Or... Wait, this is a tournament, we don't take turns... Uh... I'll just..." He walks around Iria cautiously in a half-circle. "I guess I'll just go then."

    He stops and puts his hands on either side of his head. Then he focuses his mind... In order to blast Iria's own! A sort of mental fog may envelop her as her psyche is painfully attacked with psychic energy. Against non-Elites this typically traps them inside their own mind temporarily. Against Iria, it will likely only damage her psyche a bit, reducing her ability to keep fighting as surely as physical damage would.

    Cortex isn't sure how he feels about using his powers on someone who isn't a villain... It's an entirely new experience for him. But he doesn't have a lot of other options available to him. This is what he can do.

Iria (215) has posed:
    Whether or not Iria has endured something like this before isn't relevant. The fact is that the girl finds her mental capabilities diminished slightly as she drops to the ground, clutching her head and yelling as she feels like her brain is becoming constricted. "Damn it!" She yells out, before she somehow breaks free, shaking her head.

    "That was a new one on me," Iria says as she continues to hold her head for a few moments. "But it's not going to be enough if you want to defeat me. Let me show you how it's done!" She attempts to rush in and perform a shoulder tackle as if to emphasize her point.

Demetrios Vasilikos (769) has posed:
    Upon seeing the effect it has on Iria, Cortex feels bad immediately. "Ah, geez. Sorry, but my powers are all psychic, so there isn't much I can--OOF!" he 'oof's as he gets shoulder-tackled and knocked to the ground. He gets back up fairly quickly, but he knows he has to be cautious about Iria's physical combat skills. They're waaaay beyond his! Even so... He DOES have a little bit of training in that area... And so... He lifts up into the air, hovering several inches above the ground, and uses his increased maneuverability to hopefully give him a better angle to attack. Then he uses the melee ability all heroes have...

    He brings up his fists in front of him, and throws a PUNCH!

    ...It's a very heroic punch.

Iria (215) has posed:
    It's a very heroic punch... and quite powerful too. Iria gets socked hard, stumbling backwards and leaving her holding her jaw in pain. "Ow ow ow... dammit!" She mutters, the pain more intense than she thought it would be. "I thought this was a martial arts tournament, not a barroom brawl!" She speaks sarcastically before looking at Cortex again.

    "That was a good shot, but I'm just getting warmed up." Iria takes a few running steps, then LEAPS into the air! She does a quick somersault, before using the motion to flow into a flying kick, aimed right at Cortex!

Demetrios Vasilikos (769) has posed:
    "Sorry! I'm not a martial artist!" He does look perplexed by his own strength. Sure, he's leagues better than a civilian, but he hadn't realized how much stronger he'd gotten. Has it been all the heroics he's been doing? The protection afforded by Revan allowing him to hone his skill against bigger threats? He doesn't know, but Iria's high-flying kick comes in at the super hero and he has to try to block it with his arms out of sheer reflex! Thankfully, the fact he is hovering means that despite the attack hitting jarringly, he is pushed backwards through the air, absorbing a lot of the impact. Otherwise Iria's superior skill at hand to hand combat surely would have dealt him some serious pain! Even as it is, his forearms sting!

    He does try to hold back a bit on his next attack though, lashing out with another punch! This one from his OTHER fist! Hopefully he won't feel so bad after throwing this one!

Iria (215) has posed:
    The punch doesn't hit as directly as it could've. Iria blocks it and is knocked back a little but little else from that. She rubs at her arms a little and shakes her head, realizing she needs to get back onto her game quickly if she wants to have a chance at doing better in this fight. "I'm not a traditional martial artist either, but that's not the point here. The point is that we have to fight to survive sometimes, no matter what we do."

    It's a strange time for a lesson in fighting motivation, but it works hopefully as Iria attempts to go in and deliver a swift roundhouse kick.

Demetrios Vasilikos (769) has posed:
    Cortex has to rub his head at that. "...Wait, are you arguing FOR or AGAINST me using my powers and fighting you full force?" Then he's getting clobbered in mid-air by a roundhouse kick! He is knocked sideways through the air by the force of the blow. He certainly felt the pain of THAT one! It's just as he suspected! Iria's attacks will hurt him seriously if he's not careful. From what he gathered, Iria is trying to pep talk him into doing his best, just like Revan is here to support him doing as well.

    "Okay, then... I'll show proper respect for my opponent by not holding back! Maybe we're not fighting for survival, but I'll fight as though I am! ...Within limits! I'm still a mask after all!" And with that said, he brings both hands up over his head, drifting closer to Iria, and attempts to clobber her with a two-handed overhead attack!

Iria (215) has posed:
    A two handed overhead attack. Known sometimes as a double axe handle. Either way, Iria sees it coming and deflects it with both of her arms again. She finds herself barely even fazed by the attack and then she smirks. "I'm glad you're not holding anything back, because I'm not either! Being a bounty hunter means you have to know your limits and when to respect them... and when it's important to go all out!"

    Iria rolls her arm around then her neck as well. "Of course, I'm not ready to go all out just yet, I'm still getting started!" She leaps upwards with her knee, intending to drive it into Cortex's stomach.

Demetrios Vasilikos (769) has posed:
    Cortex is kind of done puzzling over Iria's words. As he takes a heavy blow to the stomach, he decides to get some distance. He feels bad about not staying close by to allow Iria to attack back with her martial arts skills, but he isn't a close-range fighter, and trying to force himself into being such for someone who seems to be enthused about the idea of NOT holding back just seems pointless. So as his abs ache from the impact, the super hero flies upwards much faster than the slow hover he's been using.

    "Okay, then! If that's how you want it..." Then he unleashes a psychic attack, pink and purple psi-energy radiating from his head as he attempts to slam Iria's sleep centers painfully, to try to make her drowsier. "But you know, pushing too hard in a tournament doesn't seem like a good idea either!" he responds with a grin as he floats about ten feet up.

Iria (215) has posed:
    The sleep centers are hit, and Iria begins to feel quite drowsy. She almost feels like dropping to the ground and taking a nice long nap right now. But in the crowd there are many spectators cheering her on. Including Kei, her buddy, whose cheers somehow hit her central processing center in her brain... or something similar to that! The point is, when Kei's voice hits her brain, Iria's eyes snap back open, and she shakes her head, occasionally slapping herself to try to snap out of it. "Whoa... what's going on? Am I dreaming?"

    A few more slaps reminds her where she is and what she's supposed to be doing. "No, I'm not dreaming!" Iria says as she looks to Cortex. "Right, pushing oneself too hard can result in an easy loss! Which is why I'm not going too hard... yet!" She then rushes in and attempts to deliver a good uppercut.

Demetrios Vasilikos (769) has posed:
    Iria's attack sends her surging all the way up to Cortex's new altitude and clobbers him in the jaw! Shoryuken indeed! "W-wow!" Cortex lets out as he nearly feels like passing out himself from the hard impact. "You don't just hit hard, you also leap really high! Bounty Hunters where you come from must be tough customers! But I think I need even MORE distance if I'm going to stand a chance... So..." He focuses the telekinetic power he is using to fly, and then thrusts one hand out at Iria, around the time when she lands after her flying uppercut.

    And he attempts to send her flying backwards across the ring with a blast of pure telekinetic force!

Iria (215) has posed:
    Iria's caught by the telekinetic force and goes flying... barely! Because somehow she breaks free and lands on the ground quickly, her boots skidding on the ground as she does so. "Was that another mental trick? Because I'm sorry to say it, but it didn't quite work as well as you thought it might." She smirks a little. "Stinks when things don't go right, doesn't it?"

    Rather than waiting for an answer, though, Iria takes off running, except this time, she doesn't attempt to charge into Cortex. Instead, she raises her hand and attempts to throw a running punch.

Demetrios Vasilikos (769) has posed:
    Indeed! It seems Iria has some tricks up her sleeve and has somehow managed to Break Free of the telekinetic knockback! "Yeah, I guess it didn't really work that well. Maybe you're just that tough though? It'd be kind of weird if I 'missed' with a power I'm aiming with my mind, after all! Hahaha!" Iria attempts to run, leap, and punch Cortex, but this time he manages to coast to the side quickly enough to avoid serious damage. His jaw still hurts!

    And now so does his left foot, because Iria punched him in it!

    "Ow, my foot!" Cortex cries out. "Well... Guess I'll stay in the air for awhile. But I better switch back to low-speed flight. This is using up a lot of endurance!" He sinks closer to the ground, keeping his eyes on his skillful opponent... And then he unleashes another psychic blast upon Iria, trying to capitalize upon any potential will-weakening that tends to accumulate with repeated mental attacks over a short period oftime, to deal more psyche damage than he normally would!

Iria (215) has posed:
    Iria finds herself being weakened even more than before. She collapses to the ground onto her knees, holding onto her head as her grip on reality loosens more and more. She finds the will to keep fighting dropping from her body fast, but her spirit remains strong. She slaps herself quite a few times before she slowly stands back up, gasping for air and holding her head in pain. "I'll admit... I underestimated you and never expected you to fight the way you are... but when I'm weak, I'm dangerous!"

    Iria takes a few breaths as if to regain her mental stamina and focus. "I'm gonna teach you what it means to make me mad!" She rushes in somehow, attempting to deliver a flurry of punches as a way of revenge against that overpowering attack.

Demetrios Vasilikos (769) has posed:
    "Well, I wasn't trying to make you mad..." Cortex mutters. Someone who gets stronger as their body weakens, heightened by their own will or some other ability? That sounds like a dangerous power all right! Kind of like some Blaster-type heroes he has met, actually! Can Iria's 'Defiance' overcome the unusual attacks Cortex is using!? She comes charging towards the hero following his decision to fly closer to the ground, and unleashes a barrage of punches! The first one strikes him in the chest, the next he manages to float backwards to reduce the damage of, another he attempts to maneuver out of the way of similarly but gets a bit more of a painful strike to his shoulder, and the final one hits him right in the face! He's definitely feeling the beating he's taking now...

    He isn't a fighter at heart. He's a protector. A champion of justice. He was trying to enjoy this fight, to find fun in battle... And he isn't sure if he can do that. Hurting people for enjoyment just isn't him. His brain just isn't wired that way. When he sees how hard Iria is fighting, how she's trying to defeat him with all her might, rising up from psyche damage and physical fatigue...

    He thinks he finally understands what she was trying to tell him. She wasn't just advising him, it was an admonishment to herself as well. She has something important she's fighting for. What was it she said? Survival?

    Survival! Cortex understands finally! All those lives depending on him! He isn't here fighting for fun... He doesn't need to try to force himself... Because he's here to save lives! The prize money! Maybe she was reinforcing her own will, but perhaps Iria was also encouraging him as well, to do what he came here for! Overcome with emotion at an opponent he has never met before showing so much care for his goal, and the fiery determination she has shown in pursuit of her own, the psychic's eyes water a little bit.

    And then he folds his hands together in front of his face to heighten his concentration, as he says, "I'm sorry. I thought I was giving my all, but I wasn't. Just like you, I'll show that I can be powerful when I'm on the ropes too..."

    Then he unleashes a blast of telekinetic power unlike any he has shown so far, boosted by his newfound Inspiration! But Iria has already shown she can shake this power off once before... Will she do it again!?

Iria (215) has posed:
    Even though she's weaker than before after this, her spirit is still stronger than before. She shakes it off after a few moments, although it's not left her unharmed. She's struggling to keep focused, and no matter how much she slaps herself, it's still not any easier to stay steady on her feet. "Unnngh... Mustn't give up now!" She breathes deeply, letting the adrenaline surge through her body as she attempts to get back into her fighting mode. Then she looks at Cortex. "Yeah, you've done a good job with that, but I've still got something up my sleeve!"

    What does Iria have up her sleeve? She takes a few steps, stopping a little at first, but then running at Cortex again and then she literally propels herself forward, spinning like a drill with her legs extended, intending to drill right into Cortex!

Demetrios Vasilikos (769) has posed:
    Truly Iria has taught Cortex much, and left a lasting impression on him. Most notably with her fists, and now her feet! He gets drilled in the belly HARD, the wind knocked out of him, and knocked right out of the air as he runs out of endurance to fuel his hovering with! As he hits the ground and rolls a distance across the tiled floor, he has to struggle to get back up. But he is still quite driven by all that has happened and so he soon Emerges from his dazed state, returning to his feet, and catches his Second Wind.

    Then he channels his power once more, focusing his mind in this moment of clarity, and attempts to completely surround Iria in a repulsing telekinetic force temporarily, picking her up off the ground if successful, and holding her helpless in the air. Only for a few seconds though... Long enough to draw back one hand, grit his teeth, and throw forth another of those telekinetic blasts of his. He ceases the floatation power at the same time he tries to hit her with a super-strong blow that feels like a punch from half way across the ring!

Iria (215) has posed:
    Iria finds that she's getting posessed again... but it barely even fazes her. She's apparently gotten used to it and somehow snaps out of it. While her body is trying to tell her just to give up, Iria refuses to give in. After all, no true bounty hunter would surrender themselves that easily! She slaps her face again, and this time she stares at Cortex. "You know, this is a rather unorthodox method of fighting, but I'll accept it I suppose. Namely since a strong mind is the best asset in a fight!"

    Iria shakes her head. "But my body is still strong too. I've still got a few tricks left up my sleeve!" She approaches carefully, then attempts to deliver a spinning elbow strike.

Demetrios Vasilikos (769) has posed:
    Iria closes with Cortex cautiously after throwing off his repulse power and avoiding the battering-ram like TK move that followed. She spins around and swings an elbow strike at him, clipping him in that same sore jaw she uppercutted earlier! It hurts just as much even if less damage is inflicted, because it's ALREADY damaged! "Gah! I believe you, I believe you!" he calls out as he steps backwards. Telekinesis uses a lot of endurance, and he's going through his strength of will rather quickly too! He may have been inspried by Iria's words and commitment, but if he doesn't win here, won't it have been for nothing?

    He doesn't want to keep hurting Iria, even she has suffered relatively little physical harm compared to Cortex, so he tries to end the fight as best he can... If he can get past her increasingly powerful will and overwhelming spirit, anyway!

    At close range, still coasting off the damage increase provided by his strengthened abilities, he unleashes another attempt to simply send Iria off to slumber with a potent attack upon her sleep centers... To put an end to this match with as little further suffering as possible. No matter what happens, he will carry the results of this match forward for the rest of his life, and the things he has learned will influence his future decisions for years to come.

    But there are more lives than his depending on this tournament. So he has to do all that he can... Even if he regrets it!

    CUE PINK PSYCHIC ENERGY ATTACK!

Iria (215) has posed:
    The energy hits Iria and it is the last Iria can take. Even the best bounty hunter can't go forever. Despite her best efforts, Iria finds herself flat on the ground. She looks up and gives a weak thumbs up and a hint of a smile, before she lowers her head again and loses consciousness. Throughout the sounds of the crowd, Kei can be heard calling Iria's name barely as Iria fades in and out of consciousness.

    The medics tend to Iria quickly, putting her on a stretcher and preparing to carry her away, with Kei accompanying them. Apparently she (yes, Kei is a she,) is extra concerned about the girl whom Kei idolizes like a sister, and after that huge fight, she's really worried.

Demetrios Vasilikos (769) has posed:
    Cortex's guilt he feels in the pit of his belly is alleviated by Iria giving him a thumbsup and a smile. He relaxes and returns the gesture, giving a thumbsup and smile of his own, right before his opponent drifts off to psychically-induced sleep. He watches as medics and Iria's friend come to treat her, and then turns towards the crowd to wave to them, and try to pick out Revan among all of the others. He isn't sure if he'd have done as well without her here. And he isn't sure if he'd have gotten through this match at all if he hadn't had someone willing to teach him what he was missing even as they fought.