Carolina - Batroc fight

Maybe in a more traditional fight, a regulation boxing match or something similar, a fight between two trained martial artists would begin slowly, with a series of tentative blows designed to test ranges and speeds, to feel out one's foe, to get a read before taking the big risks.

…Nah. Carolina wasn't about that life.

Carolina and Batroc went blow for blow in the middle of the bridge, testing each other only in the sense that "if they don't lose outright from this attack, they must be really good". Batroc was compact, capable, mixing efficient punches and counterpunches with wide-swinging kicks aimed at destabilizing Carolina's base, exploiting gaps in her guard, or just straight kicking her in the head. On the other side, Carolina's confidence exuded from every move, her motions wide and flashy and meant to distract as much as to inflict damage.

Shin kick; raise your leg. Plant it and roundhouse. Blocked; switch sides, kick to the solar plexus. Feint, then to the head. He's staggered- in with the one-two, then swing in from the- blocked! Aah! My side! Shit!

Carolina stumbled backward to make space- armor or no armor, a kick square in the kidney hurt like hell. Batroc pressed in, testing her with another kick to her side- blocked- and then a combo of punches that raised her guard just enough. His next kick came fast and into her knee, making her legs buckle slightly, and just as she recovered, Batroc slipped in close and landed a vicious uppercut. Carolina staggered backwards, her helmet flying off with the force of the blow and clattering along the bridge behind her.

Her face exposed, she narrowed her eyes and focused. Batroc looked like he had something to say; he wouldn't get the chance. Carolina stepped forward into a one-legged frontflip, bringing her foot down with velocity to spare on the crown of Batroc's head. He raised both hands and pushed it aside, but Carolina had already rebalanced, retracting her leg to kick straight into his face under his guard. Batroc took a few steps back and rubbed an arm across his nose, but Carolina kept coming. Her punches came like a windmill, each circular swing adding momentum to the next, a one-two-three of successive fists and backhands that got Batroc guarding with his hands over his face. Sensing an opportunity, Carolina grabbed him by the head and pulled, dragging his upper body down as she threw her knee up and sank it into his stomach.

Batroc managed to push her off and made some distance, coughing and spitting as he recovered the wind that had been knocked out of him. "Bioscan," she said as Church's hologram appeared beside her.

"He ain't just another fighter," Church said, forcing a strong accent. "This guy is a wrecking machine! And he's hungry! Hell, you ain't been hungry since you won that belt!"

Carolina shot Church a glare. "Since I won the-? Nevermind. I'll take care of this myself."

By now Batroc had gotten back to fighting shape, and offered Carolina an excited smile. "I'm impressed, mademoiselle Carolina. Zat is an interesting style. You are truly talented."

Carolina cocked a skeptical eyebrow. "'For a girl', right?"

Batroc slipped into a loose fighting stance, his demeanor growing serious. "I said precisely what I meant, I assure you."

Carolina raised both eyebrows, surprised. "...Huh. I appreciate that." Still, after a moment her expression went stony and she put up her fists. "Still gonna kick your ass, though."

They met in the middle once more, matching fists at speeds that would make an average martial artist go dizzy. Despite how even it had seemed at first, Batroc was slowly gaining an edge. It didn't help that her armor did little to soften the wrecking balls he called fists and feet. She could feel herself getting fatigued as time went on, and even though she was getting good hits in, it was growing evident that Batroc had the upper hand.

***

FreestyleKneepad, Round 2