tyska
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Post by tyska on Sept 27, 2011 2:41:05 GMT -5
"I hired a private tutor, they don't teach that to everyone," Barnaby clarified, hands on his hips. "I said I learned it while in the Hero academy, not at it. Ivan wouldn't know how to deactivate a bomb, either."
The clock was a lost cause to him from this distance, but he counted it out, impatiently. It felt like forever. He glanced to Tiger; it was his turn.
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Post by gryfeathr on Sept 27, 2011 2:48:09 GMT -5
"Ain't that fancy," he commented dryly, but his eyes were avidly on the clock. He streatched out his fingers, curling them into fists, and shook himself out.
"Yeah, yeah, I know." He matched Bunny's blue gaze with his own, locked as he focused with a baring of teeth. The rush never got old. He took a moment to resettle his weight, carefully flexing his arms. He approached him carefully. The mat now felt flimsy to him, even as he settled behind Bunny and set his arms around his neck.
"...Ready for it," he warned him. All the humour was gone now, leaving behind a distinct seriousness to the air. He set his arm, and against all instinct, squeezed.
Predictably, he was a little too strong--if Bunny were only a normal person, anyway. He'd expected that and grimaced, trying to adjust and allow himself to apply steadily more and more pressure. Barnaby could feel his hesitation and care in the slow ramping, trying to find what would work on a fellow hundred-power user.
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tyska
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Post by tyska on Sept 27, 2011 2:52:00 GMT -5
It took longer, if only because of the care and adjusting of the pressure. Barnaby tried not to grimace at the initial squeeze. As he felt enough pressure to start the dizzying sensation, he tapped Tiger's arm- they had enough time to do it twice before Bunny's power ran out, and he wanted the other man to try again without the burst of initial strength.
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Post by gryfeathr on Sept 27, 2011 2:55:54 GMT -5
Kotetsu was nearly relieved when Bunny tapped out, oddly unsettled by the fact it had worked. Granted, right now they were both using hundred power, but he didn't like the idea of anything so simple able to take them down. He relaxed his grip, not entirely moving away just in case, but he didn't expect anything so dramatic as the first few tries.
He exhaled sharply, settling behind him again to have another go with about a minute and a half left. This time he nearly got it straight out, feeling out the edges of his strength again until Bunny was about to fall over.
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tyska
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Post by tyska on Sept 27, 2011 3:01:15 GMT -5
It was only executed so easily because of Tiger's power also being activated, otherwise it would have taken extreme force to compress their veins.
There was no time for hesitation with the timer counting down. "No tap out this time," He warned. It was far smoother, and in a moment, Bunny went limp just as he had without his hundred power, slumping back uselessly against Tiger's chest.
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Post by gryfeathr on Sept 27, 2011 3:11:41 GMT -5
Kotetsu caught him gently, severely disturbed. The blue glow still clung to Bunny's skin, an aura none of them could really turn off, and he exhaled sharply.
"Down we go," he told the unconscious man sunk into his arms, just as before, carefully lowering him to the ground. It was all different with the hundred power making even the gentlest of gestures potentially painful, but not difficult. He had years of practice, after all.
He wondered, suddenly, what they'd do if Bunny didn't wake back up in time before his power ran out. He wasn't sure if he wanted to do this again in an hour, him versus a normal person. Crouched by him, he checked his pulse, and eyed the clock carefully. Began tapping an off-beat rhythm against the mats, his fingers making little hard dents in the padding. "C'mon c'mon."
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tyska
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Post by tyska on Sept 27, 2011 11:22:42 GMT -5
Barnaby wasn't out that long, not as long as before; it was quite possibly Kotetsu's concern with the Hundred Power activated lead him to react faster at releasing his partner when he felt him go slack.
He stirred, head lulling to the side, brow furrowing and then relaxing as his eyes fluttered open just in time to see that bright blue glow fade back to a cool mint green. He pushed himself up to crouch, eyeing Tiger carefully as he blinked away his disorientation. His own power was gone, so the other man had three minutes left.
He felt a pang of insecurity at the idea of the next attempt. "...Are you ready? ...Or do we need to do it another time, after you've had more practice?" He was confident if Tiger was- one of the few things he didn't question the other man's judgement on- but if Kotetsu had any doubts...
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Post by gryfeathr on Sept 27, 2011 12:01:37 GMT -5
Kotetsu leaned out of Bunny's way, covering relief with a slight grin as he eyed up the distant clock. "I'm ready," he replied without hesitation, rising to his feet. He looked down at Bunny, eyes still glowing that brilliant azure color, and offered him a hand to pull him to his feet with a slight hook to the smile on his mouth.
He was not going to hurt Bunny. He wouldn't let it happen. "Let's do this."
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tyska
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Post by tyska on Sept 27, 2011 16:36:10 GMT -5
He accepted the faintly illuminated hand up, silently questioning what was wrong with himself. Barnaby was trusting an amateur to wrap his arm around his neck and choke him with Hundred Power. Well, sort of an amateur. It wasn't as thought Kotetsu was inexperienced with martial arts, or his abilities, but still.
"I think your idiocy must be wearing off on me," He scoffed, stretching his back gently a he turned to face away from his partner. He was good at putting on airs of not being concerned, but with his power activated, Kotetsu could literally hear Barnaby's heartbeat. It said otherwise.
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Post by gryfeathr on Sept 27, 2011 17:29:45 GMT -5
"Don't tell Mr. Lloyds that," Kotetsu told him brightly, settling his arms carefully around Bunny's neck. He took it easy, more for Bunny's benefit than his, he told himself. Gentle, gentle. "I think he might want to actually fire me then if he found out I'm contagious. --Hey, wait a minute, what do you mean, idiocy?"
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tyska
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Post by tyska on Sept 27, 2011 17:39:44 GMT -5
His pulse shot up as Tiger's arms slid into place. "That's the common name for that disease of yours, what else?" Barnaby fell quiet, shoulders tense and back rigid. It's just Tiger, he assured himself.
His own hand rested lightly on Kotetsu's forearm, lips pressed into a thin line, and he concentrated on his breathing. He didn't bother pulling his hair out of the way for comfort this time, entirely too distracted to care.
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Post by gryfeathr on Sept 27, 2011 17:54:42 GMT -5
It was a sudden, unexpected bonus to be able to sense the tension and pulse beating against his arm. He set his arm exactly right, absently sliding the rear arm under Bunny's hair rather than over it.
"I'm not a disease!" he protested, to keep Bunny's thoughts occupied, as he applied the gentlest of pressures with his body overpowered to 100 times his normal strength. He held his breath, focused intently. A bare flex set his arm tightly against Bunny's throat, rock solid and unmovable, but Bunny could still breathe.
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tyska
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Post by tyska on Sept 27, 2011 18:32:04 GMT -5
At least his arms were positioned correctly, he thinks absently, ignoring Tiger's comments as he runs over a mental checklist of their positions and exactly what is going to be compressed in a moment. He knew too well just how little effort that tiny flex took, and it was still impressive to feel the power of it against his skin. .
In an instant, his head tilts backwards instinctively, but that's what the other arm was there before, lips parting slightly as his jaw fell slack, followed by his arms and knees. It was a quick and silent cascade downwards as he lost consciousness, right leg and his head twitching slightly.
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Post by gryfeathr on Sept 27, 2011 18:45:03 GMT -5
His reflexes were super-powered now. The moment he felt Bunny about to fall, the twitches unnatural and unsettling, he let go. For an outside observer it was a blur of motion as, in a split second, he went from focused stillness to catching Bunny's shoulders.
Bunny weighed nearly nothing as he guided him back down to the ground, the aftershocks of success making his pulse race. He laid his fingers against Bunny's pulse to feel the strength of it.
Damn, it wouldn't be alright until he regained consciousness, and even he could not think of anything flippant to say. He knelt down on one knee, arm laid across the other, and watched Bunny's face for signs of life. After checking his pulse, he rested his palm briefly on his chest, checking his breathing even though he could hear it quite clearly.
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tyska
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Post by tyska on Sept 27, 2011 19:05:03 GMT -5
Pulse, normal. Breathing patterns, normal. He was a bit pale, even more than usual, but that was to be expected. It was very much as though he were simply sleeping, hence the name of the choke.
After a moment, his eyes opened, slowly looking around the room as he recalled why he was staring at the ceiling again.
"...Okay..." He breathed deeply. "That went...well."
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