[Round 1] Jibril & Harley Quinn vs Cerise & Gildarts

[Albert Wesker]

Even if she knew when and where each shot was going to go, dodging them while still trying to return fire of her own was a difficult task. Especially in such a confined place as this fighting ring; it limited the usual mobility and escape tactics she would usually employ that might have given her some kind of edge. All she had to rely on here was skill and careful planning...well, skill, careful planning, and the fact she had the advantage in the number of rounds in her guns.

Only a few more, with how she had already been firing, of course. When Harley's revolvers ran empty, Cerise still had another few shots, which she took full advantage of. A single energy bolt hit home with a stinging, explosive impact on each of the lady clown's limbs. It staggered her enough to give the smaller fighter time. Time to quickly close the gap, stowing her pistols out of sight.

Harley had recovered in that brief instant, rearing back to strike out with a kick at the incoming snake. Cerise had underestimated her enhanced speed, and even her dodge was only barely sufficient; ducking low and skidding under the kick, it still clipped her head, throwing it back and leaving her to land on her back rather than smoothly regaining her feet as she had intended. A split second of confusion and distraction, and her original plan had been all but thrown out the window, as the still-standing harlequin just grinned deviously down at the girl and swiftly stomped down with one boot.

Cerise brought both arms over her chest, one hand bracing the other to catch the strike. It still drove both hands into her body, with only enough force to drive the air out of her lungs rather than crack her ribs. Not just faster, stronger, too... Under normal circumstances, this was something that the huntress could have dealt with easily enough. But without a steady breath to draw, she could do little more than brace herself to try and ward off a fierce series of stomps and kicks directed her way. Brace herself and watch as the mad clown reloaded her revolvers, with a delighted smirk plastered across her face.

Brute force eventually won out against poor leverage and desperate defense, and with a resounding crunch a strike finally struck home against the faunus's rib cage. She let out a tiny, shuddering gasp, and involuntarily curled in on herself from the pain. Like a soccer ball, she was fiercely kicked, tumbling several feet over the stage as Harley Quinn finished her reloading and snapped the cylinder of each firearm shut.

Gasping and coughing in pain, it was all Cerise could do to force herself up. Unsteady, swaying on her feet and still in a low crouch to brace herself with one hand against the ground. She fixed the demented harlequin with a cold stare from her good eye, even as blood trickled from between teeth bared in a silent snarl.

"It...it's been too long..." she whispered, sucking in a deep breath that sent needles crawling and tumbling through her chest. "Since I actually fought someone...in such a confined space..." As the first round of gunfire came she sprang aside. An awkward, tumbling roll that dropped her back onto all fours on the ground. "I got sloppy. Used to running away."

More shots, and she just tucked and rolled aside again, coming up in a crouch on one knee. Her right arm was raised, the crossbow hidden in her bracer readied again.

"Aw, not agai--" The clown's complaint was cut short as a bolt was loosed and struck the ground between them. A thick plume of smoke erupted upward, blossoming out into a heavy cloud. Caught with her mouth open, Harley's complaint trailed off into a cough as she got a mouthful of the obscuring fumes.

Cerise shakily got back up to stand. Grimacing from the pain, she withdrew the crossbow on her arm. The smoke was as much a hindrance as it was a help; she couldn't be seen through it, but couldn't see through it herself, either. A blessing, she thought, until more gunfire ripped through the smokescreen.

"Nice trick! But I seen a lot of smokescreens in my day!"

The snake faunus quickly skittered to the side, dropping back into a crouch Standing still after a trick like that just made you a target for someone with sharp judgement. Stupid, stupid...! Several feet to one side, and then she took another agony-filled breath before she took to another trick. Like a shadow at noon, she all but vanished.

She quickly slipped through the smoke, treading lightly. Only the faint clatter of her boots sliding and scraping over the mild damage to the arena heralded her approach.

Harley was waiting for her, and swiped out with a gun to strike her, but only met with air and smoke. "What the? You were..."

A quiet hissing cut her off. And then arms wrapped around her from behind, and fangs pierced her neck with a sharp, burning pain.

Word Count: 850 (according to wordcounter.net)

Cerise maintains her power-up for the remainder of the fight. 1/5 SP remaining