[center][h2]Cap'n K. Runch vs. The Bashibozuk: Round 2[/h2][/center]

[color=turquoise]"You know, I'm not going to criticize your guerrilla tactics here, but maybe we could take this outside, and not harm the ancient ruins? Seems like a real shame to me if anything got damaged in our fight."[/color] The infidel was yapping again. What was it with this mustachioed foreigner and talking? If he didn't have those insane powers, Serhan would have been able to end this so very quickly. He made use of a small hand mirror hidden in his armor to peak around the corner without exposing his head, only to see the idiot was still wandering rather aimlessly. Serhan smiled to himself as the pirate stepped a little too close to one of his invisible traps. The time to strike was now.

The Bashibozuk jumped out of cover, and hurled a small ball directly at his foe. Captain K. Runch turned just in time to see a little black ball heading his way. With a great skill, he swat at the thing with his spoonsaber to bat the weapon away. Things didn't work out as intended. The little black ball exploded in a large blast of smoke, enveloping the captain. Coughing and wheezing, Runch stumbled back several steps until he couldn't step anymore. Resistance met with sharp pain, the intense sensation of something slicing into his ankles and back. The pirate captain lost his balance entirely, flailing onto the ground, tearing razored garrote wire from the walls and getting wrapped up in it. [color=turquoise]"AAAARGH!"[/color] he cried out. Serhan, his pleasure showing in his gait, closed the distance. Only a few feet away from his target, wrapped up and being torn apart in his wire trap, the Turkish hitman lifted a single gun to shoot his thrashing prey.

Struggling, feeling the wire biting deeper, the Cereal Killer caught sight of his opponent and smiled, his thrashing movements altogether stopped. [color=turquoise]"Omnomnom! Gotcha! Bori bori eruption!"[/color] From every square inch of his skin cereal formed and poured forth all at once. The garrote strained and strained, then snapped and flew apart in several pieces just as the cereal pellets flew about every which way. Cap'n Runch jumped back up to his feet, his clothing in tatters and bleeding quite a bit, but seemingly unfazed by his ordeal. Meanwhile, Serhan sensed the danger just in the nick of time. He managed to dodge out of the way before any of the cereal pellets collided with his body, taking cover behind a pillar. A total escape it was not, for a piece of his razored wire whipped around, slashing into his left thigh. The Turkish man grit his teeth and dealt with it. He'd had worse before.

[color=turquoise]"Phew! I'm going to have to watch my step! Good show, mister... Whatever your name is. Almost peeled my bananas before they were ripe!"[/color] Runch took a moment to pick up his bicorn hat and place it upon his head. [color=turquoise]"That feller on the screen was right, I let my curiosity get the better of me for sure! Now you're at a great field advantage! Might have to do something about that..."[/color] Runch tapped the end of his saber against the very pillar that Serhan had taken refuge behind. Had the pirate noticed where his opponent hid himself during the confusion? Or was this just some sort of quirk?

Taking advantage of the spoonsaber's unique shape and curvature, the good captain swung the blade about neck level around the pillar. The assassin was not so easily caught off guard, and brought up his own blade to block the unusual weapon. The straight blade of the yatagahn caught on the serrated spoonhead, locking the weapons in place. Runch pulled backward in an attempt to force the blade into his enemy from behind, while Serhan braced the back of his sword with his spare arm. The two struggled against one another for several moments, faces turned red, sweat formed and ran down their brows. Finally, the Bashibozuk summoned a reserve of strength from within and broke the stalemate. Taking a calculated risk, he relaxed his muscles and ducked down quickly. The spoonsaber pulled back, scraping along the stone pillar, while Serhan dodged around the side and thrust at Runch. 

The Cereal Killer recovered, albeit barely, sidestepping just in time to avoid a stab to the gut. He swung his sword around, but Serhan recovered his form as well and parried. Slash met slash, thrust met parry, blade struck only metal as the two performed a dance of deadly blades at great speed. In an ever spinning duel they fought, neither gaining any ground on the other. Cap'n K. Runch's childlike, joyful smile was matched blow for blow by the Bashibozuk's narrowed glare of determination. Finally, the stalemate was broken as Runch brought his sword down diagonally at Serhan's neck. The hitman blocked the neck of the blade, but with a simple sawing motion Runch sliced the large spoonhead into Serhan's left shoulder.

"Gah!" he grunted in pain.

[color=turquoise]"You can talk! Omnomnom, I thought I was fighting a mute the whole time!"[/color]

He was talking again. Good. If this infidel had any major weaknesses, it was that naive state of mind, something a trained killer was all too eager to take advantage of. His tactic would sacrifice some of his flesh and blood, but the results should be worth it. Serhan lifted up his non-dominant leg, the motion forcing the serrated spoonhead deeper into his shoulder, and kicked into his prey's solar plexus. Reacting quick as he could, Runch pulled back, tearing his sword out of his opponent in the process, and moved to block with his left arm. The good captain couldn't possibly have predicted what would happen.

[i]BANG![/i]

The gun hidden in the Bashibozuk's pants triggered. A bullet ripped through the air such a short distance and into the gut of Bartholomew K. Runch. The captain stumbled back, clutching his wound with his free hand, then shot a glare at Serhan. His glare was returned by a sadistic smile.

[color=turquoise]"Cheap shot. Rotten, like overripe grapes."[/color] He began breathing harder. Serhan had to give credit, this pirate;s fortitude was to be admired. Still standing after a point blank bullet to the gut? Covered in razor cuts? The sight only reaffirmed what the assassin had figured before: he could never have won in a direct fight. Not without a few cheap shots. Well, the time to muse was over. Time to finish off his target, but not before he suffers. 

As Serhan slowly approached, brandishing his yataghan menacingly, K. Runch knew he had to regroup. He did some major damage, his enemy's left arm was going to be useless, but if he didn't catch a second wind then Runch knew he'd lose out on stamina soon. He grit his teeth. He had to use [i]that[/i] technique. It'd be a real shame. This place was somethin' else, alright. Bartholomew sighed, sheathed his sword, and held his hand out. [color=turquoise]"Bori bori marble slip."[/color]

Expecting another stream of tiny iron-like balls to shoot out at him, Serhan took a defensive stance. He was surprised to find that instead the pirate captain only dribbled round cereal pellets out of his palm, which slowly rolled toward him. Was this it? Marble slip implied they were supposed to trip him up, but he could easily step over and around these obstacles. No, this enemy was more dangerous than he let on. Something else was afoot here. The assassin kept one eye on the foodstuff littering the floor, and another on his opponent's face, trying to read the pirate's expression.

Runch gave another gleeful, childlike grin. [color=turquoise]"... Hellberry Recipe. Boom."[/color]

[i]BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM![/i] Like tiny grenades each little marble exploded in a violent fragmentation, leaving behind scorch marks, smoke, and flame. Each explosion fed into the next, creating one large blast. Serhan was prepared for something tricky, but nothing before had indicated his opponent could use explosives. He dodged out of the way, but was still tossed violently by the shockwave. He collided with the floor and rolled until stopped by another pillar. Runch was also thrown back by his own explosion, but in a far more controlled manner. He propelled himself backwards with a stream of cereal from his feet, a technique he called the bori bori rocketskate, and took his own cover.

[i][color=turquoise]Got a moment to myself. Ok, good. Need to stop the bleeding. I'll fight with a bullet in my gut if I have to.[/color][/i] Concentrating on where it hurt most, Runch generated a large cereal pellet at the surface of his wound using a recipe designed to be extra absorbent. After a few seconds, he caught his breath and stood up tall, ready to continue the fight.