Ooc: collaboration between
fetzen
and myself
They were back on land, somewhere in south east Asia, Wolfe guessed Indonesia, or possibly Thailand. Either way they were both happy to be on solid ground under blue sky. They recieved uniforms, Wolfe and Hirsch were given sets of olive drab BDUs, and black BDUs.
Throughout the week they took turns giving classes on inter human relations in this version of modern earth.
Hirsch was no longer allowed to give classes after teaching some of the off worlders about strip clubs and brothels.
During some down time the two found themselves in the gym. After some weight training they decided to spar.
Hirsch is a power house, and definitely skilled. He spent most of his life wrestling, boxing, or practicing Brazilian ju jitsu. Wolfe knows a bit of many different martial arts, but was no where near a master in any way, yet he has never lost a fight to Hirsch, even though Hirsch can easily beat those that can beat Wolfe, for some unknown reason to Hirsch, he just cannot win. Wolfe likes to say, "it's because I'm smarter than you." to which Hirsch insults his face.
They stood six feet apart, Hirsch charges in, Wolfe used his momentum and tripped him up, while going down Wolfe wrapped his arm up. Once on the ground Wolfe had the armbar secure, Hirsch tapped.
"God damnit! Stop doing that dick head!" Hirsch yelled.
"Stop trying the same move everytime simple Jack." Wolfe said laughing.
That's when Hirsch noticed Vaughter walking by.
"Hey, YO Goliath wanna get in on some ass whipping?" he called over to the gargoyle.
"You do know he is twice you size...and more than that in weight right?"
"Yep."
"You realize his hand is the size of your head right?"
"Sure do!" Hirsch said stretching out.
"Then why the fuck do you want to fight him?"
"'Cuz" he said. Hirsch turned to Wolfe.
"As a marine, it is my duty to challenge any and all things bigger than me to a fight, becuase....reasons mother fucker."
"Your funeral," Wolfe shook his head and stood off to the side, inviting Vaugter in with a friendly nod.
Over the course of the last few days, Vaughtar had been quite busy. In fact, it had been the gargoyle's first experience with a schoolboy-teacher relationship - him being the boy and others, including Wolfe and Hirsch, the teachers. Earth was both a fascinating and horrible place: Fascinating because how congruent many aspects were with Munimis and how vastly advanced human society and technology was. The latter one was a thing that had come to an almost complete stop on his own homeworld. The more horrible things about earth were artificial light and huge cities. There wouldn't be many places for him to hide if it should become necessary... And there surely was no way for him to hide among people: He was just too tall, broad-shouldered and bulky for an effective disguise to exist. The by far most difficult thing for him however was the sun: He had never seen it before. A yellowish-white, glaring disk at the sky that made it very difficult for him to see when there were no clouds hiding it. The consequence was that Vaughtar was a night owl that preferred staying in his room until it was dark or he had to attend to another class.
When he entered to gym, it was rather by accident, but the two marines did immediately grab his attention. These were definitely some moves he wasn't familiar with. Fighting werewolves and the like had always been a show of pure brutality and nothing advanced, or at least that was the way Vaughtar was used to go. However that was no reason for him to deny Hirsch's request. The man seemed experienced, he had to know what he was doing and turning somebody down was something the gargoyle didn't like. The marine wanted a challenge ? He would get it!
"I hope that I won't be held entirely responsible if something goes terribly wrong. Should I cover these with something soft and thick or is it sufficient if I try not to hit you with them ?" He held his claws into the centre of Hirsch's view. They were sharp and, like pretty much everything else around Vaughtar, really big. His experience and recently acquired knowledge about human relationships told him that it would be a good thing if he didn't stop there: "What about my wings ?"
Somewhere back in his mind, if he was really honest, Hirsch became associated with madness. Another part of his thinking was contradicting: Underestimating an enemy was one of the biggest mistakes one could do. Perhaps there was something up his sleeve that he would put into action when the time was right ? Hirsch seemed to be a really sturdy, very heavy man, but so was he himself - by gargoyle standards, if such a thing existed.
The gargoyle regarded his razor sharp claws. Claws that'll make a kodiaks class look like pocket knives.
"Oh yea, fuck yea, you me full bore, no restrictions." Hirsch said with a violent grin. He wanted to take the beast on as he is,no handicap.
Wolfe didn't like that idea.
"Negative on that Hirsch," Wolfe said arms folded standing off to the side.
"No way man, this is my moment, my Everest!"
"Negative, and what if you get impaled or gutted? Huh? Where that leave me? Alone, no teammate."
"I got this dude, I got this," Hirsch said, pride blinding any common sense.
Wolfe hated to do this.
"Lance Corporal Hirsch, You will not engage this individual without proper ppe, you get me?"
Hirsch turned slowly, he looked hurt, insulted.
"- the fuck?"
"Aye corporal or some shit" Wolfe said.
"You are seriously pulling rank on me??" Hirsch asked bewildered. Wolfe met him with a steel eye. Hirsch sighed and his shoulders sagged.
"At corporal," he said then muttered "or some shit."
Wolfe ignored the last part and walked over to Vaughtar, inspected his claws than moved to the other side of the gym. He pulled two punching pads and a roll of duct tape.
Cutting the pads into strips Wolfe returned and began wrapping Vaughtars claws. After each wrap he placed a strip of tape. After about ten minutes the gargoyles bladed fingers were completely encased.
"How's that feel?" he asked Vaughtar.
Vaughtar moved his 'fingers', checking out how things felt like. "A bit strange, but that won't disturb me. Thank you." The gargoyle tried to be calm and friendly, but speaking with a voice that did not feel like a tremor if one was standing right next to him was something he couldn't really achieve. One thing less two worry though, but this fight likely still was dangerous enough.
"Hirsch ? Everything's pointing towards me not being able to leave this world in a foreseeable amount of time. Your mountain won't run away." One could interpret this as a hidden carte blanche for future fights. In fact, Vaughtar wanted to deliver both this message and some reassuring words that this most likely would not be the first and last opportunity to do what they were up to do right now, so there was no need to rush things.
The 'mountain' - both Vaughtar's skin color and his stature perfectly suited that word in the figurative sense - was almost completely naked. The only things he was wearing were his shorts and the girdle with the strange metal emblem on it. Aside from that: A ming-boggling amount of muscle covering a frame that was... Well. If one's hand was as big as another one's head, how thick did one's bones have to be ? However the idea was hanging around in his mind that this could be his major disadvantage. Agility really wasn't his business. From Vaughtar's point of view it would highly depend on how innovative and flexible Hirsch was, but of course he didn't tell him that.
The gargoyle made a few steps back to have a bit of distance to begin with. He made a single, slow flap with his wings, then folded them together tight enough that they weren't protruding that much from behind his shoulders. The creature stared at Hirsch with his legs wide apart, the brunt of his weight on his left foot and his arms and fists protecting his upper body in what appeared to be some sort of stance. "I am ready.
Vaughtar steadied himself, taking on a defensive posture. Wolfe watched Hirsch, he was bouncing on his heels shaking out his arms. He stopped and cracked his neck, then assumed a combat stance. He advanced slowly, reading his opponent. Hirsch knew the Gargoyle would best him in strength, thats why he had to to choose his targets. Hirsch scanned the beast, making mental notes of soft areas of flesh. Neck. Armpits. Backs of the knees. Inner thigh.
In a flash Hirsch bolted for the creature. Hirsch dodged Vaughtars first swing, as a result, Hirsch placed a hard kick on the inside of Vaughtars thigh, on the softer flesh. Using the momentum of his kick he pushed up, off the leg, and placed a hard left accross the beasts face. That was before Hirsch was caught with a glancing blow from the Gargoyle. The blow only glanced off his shoulder but was more than enough to sumble him back. Losing his focus he sprinted for the animal again, this time trying to rush all his weight to the beast in an attempt to take him to the ground. Even though Hirsch knew how to tackle someone, Vaughtar was built like a wall, and did noot move one bit.
'crap' Hirsch thought
What did bruises on stone-grey skin look like ? Everyone being in touch with Vaughtar would soon find out. The gargoyle wasn't immune to such things, and given the pain emanating from his thigh and his face, these hits had been effective. He could feel a warm liquid seeping down one of his nostrils, it would soon start dripping from his face. Hirsch definitely knew where to hit.
On the other hand however, the marine seemed to be either in some sort of frenzy or he was really bad at estimating and had not read Vaughtar's file. Otherwise he possibly would have avoided wasting energy by ramming his 220 pounds into Vaughtar's near 1,000. Now he knew, but now it was too late. There was no need for the gargoyle to search and aim for weak spots: From his point of view and in this situation the entire human body was one big weak spot. He grabbed Hirsch's right shoulder with his left hand, making use of his larger reach by pushing him out of range, holding him in place there until the flat side of his right fist came slamming down onto his left shoulder. This wasn't standard practice for the creature. If it had been a real fight for life and death, he would have tried to smash Hirsch's skull right away. However if this had been a real fight for life and death, the marine probably would have found out what an excellent and easy-to-hit target Vaughtar's hulking body was for any kind of firearm.
Hirsch's legs gave way to the impact, and when he was flat on the ground, he received a kick in his butt that sent him skidding along the floor. There were no obstacles, but friction made sure there was visible damage to Hirsch's skin - aside from what the impact sites on his body probably felt like now. The gargoyle accelerated in order to catch up with his prey before it would be back on its feet. His own back now was facing towards Wolfe.
The fight started off surprisingly well. Hirsch moved fast and struck the target in a soft spot to distract the creature, then an upper cut that actually drew blood. Wolfe was impressed, until Hirsch jumped back.
'Oh you dumb....simple boy' he thought to himself. To no surpise to Wolfe, Hirsch rushed the Gargoyle, as if he were still a linebacker in school.
A linebacker who just ran into a light pole.
Thats when the creature took advantage, Hirsch didn't see it coming, the blunt force to his shoulder, his legs buckling and he drop hard, he grunted in pain and was kicked accross the padded floor, Vaughtar had surpising speed given his side, he quickly caught up before Hirsch stopped sliding. Only to pinned to the ground again he had one arm free, using all his leverage he gator rolled out of the creatures grasp, temporarily, he was hemmed up again just seconds later but not before delivering an elbow to the creatures nose. Vaughtar dropped Hirsch then booted him in the chest, he crumpled to the ground, the Gargoyle was on top of him, a knee to the chest, Hirsch wasn't going anywhere. The creature began raining solid blows down. Hirsch may have had his arms up and blocked every one, but it didn't matter, the sheer force felt as if he were being repeatedly hit by a truck.
Wolfe got a bad feeling real quick, this went from entertaining to dangerous fast. The hair on the back of his neck stood, his gut rumbled, his body became alive with nerves, as if he could feel the slitghtedy change in the air.
He reached. He broke into a sprint, directly to the rear of the creature. Ten feet away Wolfe jumped six feet to his left and forward to the side of the creature, using that momentum he sprung into the air closing the remaing four feet, as Vaughtar just caught a glimpse of the very knee that hit him squarly in the face, he went back and fell.
Wolfe landed but stumbled, "Oh, fuck, like kicking a tree!" he yelled as he hobbled over to Hirsch.
Hirsch groaned, rolled, and spat blood on the mat.
"Why'd you break it up?" he spat more blood "had 'em right where I wanted him."
"The hell you did, What'd I tell you bout using the same moves over and over?" Wolfe helped Hirsch up.
"Yea, that was dumb. Lesson learned," Hirsch grunted.
Wolfe hit Vaughtar hard, but he knew all it would have done is stun the large creature for a few moments, though he seems to understand.
Hirsch limped over and held out his hand.
"You're a mean sumbitch, sloppy, but effective, I'd be honored to stomp some mud holes with ya."
Vaughtar's blood was dark, but one could still see that it was based on hemoglobin, or at least something that gave a reddish color combined with the smell of iron, too. His nose wasn't exactly the sturdiest body part, so now, after the recent two hits, things were leaking badly.
"Your knee will be visible for days on my face." he grinned towards Wolfe, still lying on the ground. Vaughtar checked his teeth with his tongue, everything still in place being the result. Given the circumstances, Hirsch seemed to be okay, though he had gone from perfectly healthy to limping and spitting blood in a matter of seconds and despite the fact he had protected himself the best he could. Vaughtar sluggishly got up to his feet. "I think I should apologize... I've never been good at judging my own strength, and where I come from it's all about life and death." he said to the marines. The gargoyle went for some paper towels and plugged his nose before he started to clean up the traces and stains they had left on the mat. "Is fighting with creatures coming out of the rift allowed or should we think about some cover stories for our injuries ? I could pretend that I had an accident while flying. So many light poles and masts around..." His tone was a bit impish. "Speaking of which... would you accept it as an apology if I invited both of you to a trip into the air ? Give me a few minutes to see if my headache goes away or not."
Wolfe and Hirsch accepted Vaughtars apology. They agreed to his terms one flight for each at a later date. After cleaning up a bit, Wolfe, and Hirsch spend a couple of hours showing Vaughtar various moves he could do being as large as he is, as well as some effective defensive techniques. Blocking, countering. Locks and holds( at least enough to better restrain someone closer to Vaughtars size).
