A Battle of Wills

[Ashlie Minamida]

The Danger Room is all set up for the fight. A fairly straightforward boxing ring in an arena. Of course following Will's advertising and recruitment efforts Ashlie had to increase the size of the ring itself by about 50% and actually add some seating for spectators that are actually filling up with curious students. She hadn't planned to turn this into a spectacle, but that is kind of out of her hands now.

"Welcome." her voice booms through the arena as well as the locker rooms. "Since this duel has apparently turned into a team exhibition match, let me inform everybody of the rules. Anybody who is rendered unconscious, taps out or is restrained for ten seconds is considered out and will be removed from the stage. Anybody who leaves the ring in any way over the top rope and touches the floor of the arena before getting back into the ring is considered out. Safeties are set to prevent serious injuries for the participants and to full for the spectators. Danger Room hazards are enabled. Last team standing wins the contest and with it the claim to the name Will Stanton."

"We begin in ten minutes!"

[Basil Benson]

Basil busied himself finding a spot with Colette, unseen eyes scanning the crowd for other familiar faces.

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

A decent-sized table was set up near the Danger Room entrance so that students would have to pass it as they entered. On the table were paper plates with slices of cheap pepperoni party pizza and cans of soda. An hot-air popcorn popper was going with a few brown paper bags already filled. Taped to the front of the table was a white sign with a rainbow-coloured X symbol with the word "FUNDRAISER" and a list of prices. Manning the cash box and stacking napkins was the pigtailed girl, or girls since one of her was busy cooking pizzas at that moment while another was getting a good seat in the audience. Capitalism.

[Colette Rosenhof]

And Colette was, of course, hanging off of Basil's arm.

"Is it normal for schools in English to promote fights between zeir students?"

[Basil Benson]

"Not in the slightest.

But there again, what is normal at Uni here are couples rooms for student privacy and the headmistress doesn't assign those either, so I don't think she has the bloodiest clue what is normal at a British Uni."

Basil thought for a moment.

"I'll be right back, love." He stated, disappearing to go get a snack from Jezabelle.

"What're we raising fund for?" He asked.

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

"Ah, well, if it isn't Maldon's formerly most-eligible bachelor." Jezabelle grinned as she handed some change to another student. "Eh, the usual stuff. We're hoping to get enough to throw a party on Valentine's day, something a little less lovey-dovey themed so that the kids who don't have a date can still go out and have a good time.

"... no offense. Couples'll still be welcome of course. We just aren't going to be hanging any big red hearts up or anything."

[Basil Benson]

"Interesting." He replied, making that weird sleeve motion at his collar.

Basil went to make a hand signal, then simply put his hand in his pocket to fish out his wallet and hand her a 100 pound note.

"One please."

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

"Yeah, I'm trying to convince some of the other students we should make it Harry Potter themed."

Jezabelle took the note and looked at her cash box.

"One... slice? Soda? Popcorn? Um..., I'm pretty sure I can break this, but if not can I owe you?"

[Basil Benson]

"I dunno, surprise me." He replied casually.

"Don't worry about breaking it." He replied. "You will let me know if you need any help party planning?"

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jez gave a very big smile, she wasn't going to pass up Basil's generosity. "Absolutely I will! You'll be our honorary Neville Longbottom." A second Jez was putting some slices and drinks on a plastic tray the teen had squirreled away from the cafeteria, along with some popcorn. She was being pretty generous but even if she filled the tray it probably didn't add up to one-tenth of what he'd given her.

"VIP customers get their take-away delivered." The second girl insisted.

[Null]

The intercom system was usually used to, well, have people in the booth talk to people working out in the simualations. With a scratch, however, they took on a secondary function now, as music started being pumped into the Danger Room.

This is ten percent luck
Twenty percent skill
Fifteen percent concentrated power of Will
Five percent pleasure
Fifty percent pain
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name...


And with that, Will emerged from his locker room, pounding his chest and throwing his arms into the air, whipping the crowd into a frenzy.

[Will Stanton]

Not to be outdone, someone had arranged some music for the other Will team, as well.

This Will, finishing off the last of his pre-game antifreeze, carefully walked behind Sam, Tereza and Viv as they made their way into the Danger Room proper.

[Sean Hall]

Sean followed a healthy distance behind Will to allow him his moment to whip up the crowd. He was staring at their opponents seeing how they'd react to Will having a well, team behind him.

[Nailah Weaver]

Right behind 'her' Will, Nailah is walking with her arms crossed in front of her chest and spreading her wings wide open as she turns left and right to the spectators, grinning from ear to ear.

[Basil Benson]

"Me? A Griffyndor? Perish the thought love." He joked.

He hesitated at the mention of help." Well, if you insist. I wouldn't want to take you from your duties."

[Tereza Rozanov]

Tereza, in contrast, is deadly serious. Her glowing eyes rove over the rest of the other team, obviously assessing their threat. Looks like I was right about the overwhelming force. Haley, Sean, and Nailah. In that order.

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

"Basil, if there's one thing I'm good at, it's multi-tasking." As she spoke another Jez had already stepped into view behind the counter to take the second one's place.

"Come on, let's go before the fight breaks out and everyone yells at us to sit down. Where are you... oh nevermind, I see can see your girlfriend. She kinda sticks out like a sore thumb." Funny thing, this Jez hadn't appeared to look around at all. This power was kinda creepy, especially since it meant that she was leading Basil to his seat when even he wasn't sure where that was.

Colette, meanwhile, had found a seat and saved one for Basil, looking around expectantly now that the spectacle was getting underway.

[Basil Benson]

Basil followed the seemingly clairvoyant Jez to his seat, smiling at Colette (and only her thanks to his wonkiness).

"Wow, you're good." He laughed, taking his seat and then his stuff from Jez.

"Hey Love." He greeted the gelatinous woman.

[Null]

Will took his turn eyeing down each of the members of the opposite team. If any telepaths were present -- or, you know, goddesses of war or battle, or something of that nature -- they would catch the steely determination of a battle-hardened warrior; one who had been in this rodeo multiple times, one who had spilt blood and cracked skulls for grand causes. It was as if a cold fire was burning inside him; something that just had to come out; looking for an excuse to be let loose.

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

"You know it." Jez grinned as she handed the tray to Basil. "I'll email you later. Thanks again!" She waved to the two before turning and trotting back to the stand while other students took their seats.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette smirked a bit, immediately taking some popcorn from a bag and popping it into her mouth, courteous enough to become opaque almost immediately.

"What was it that you told me about not wanting women to wait upon you?" She gave his side a very gentle nudge, clearly teasing rather than making any sort of accusation. No kiss equalled no need for her to get apprehensive.

[Basil Benson]

Basil took it in stride.

"She insisted because I gave her money. That happens a lot when I give people money. " He joked back.

"Besides which, I'd be fine with an occassional switch around if it pleases Madame."

Always the flirt, even when his friends were about to beat the piss out of each other.

[Will Stanton]

Unlike Will, Will was sticking behind his teammates, walking around to try to keep Tereza between him and his doppelgangster.

He did not, as it turns out, look ready to rumble.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette raised an eyebrow, helping herself to a slice and a drink. "Perhaps. Perhaps. We will have to wait and see." They were very early into their relationship after all. She turned her attention back to the ring, though leaning just a bit into Basil as she watched.

[Basil Benson]

Basil of course let her closer, he too could feel the tension in the air. A realization came upon him that the precog in the ring didn't need to make.

"That kid is about to get creamed."

[Null]

And, with Basil's keen observation, a bell sounded, and the fight was on!

The first thing Will did was leap back about ten feet -- he had been standing close to the middle of the ring in order to do the whole intimidation thing, but that's not where he wanted to be.

He cupped his hands around his mouth, looked at the other Will, and shouted "PAVLOV!"

[Will Stanton]

Will was, at first, stationary at the start of the fight, but he staggered back and winced as the other Will shouted at him.

The code-word Will had shouted triggered one of the little "surprises" he had added in Will's head, when he had hooked him up to his laptop and printed out the flyers -- it wasn't just to be a jerk; it was part of his battle plan.

The wolves' Will started emitting a strong, pungent, licoricey smell -- anise.

Now, it's well known in veterinary circles that anise is to dogs like catnip is to wolves -- it's what's used to coat the rabbit at dog tracks, and to get foxhounds to chase things they wouldn't normally chase. Unlike catnip, it doesn't make dogs mellow -- it revs them up and makes them hyper.

The Other Will was hoping that the scent would throw off the wolves in Tereza and Viv's heads -- at least making them distracted; at best getting them to chase after the wrong Will.

[Sean Hall]

Sean knew he wouldn't have much time to act, so he placed one hand over the one wearing the ring bearing the Seal of Solomon and stared at the Morrigan. He spoke in an old language, it sounded like Caanite if anybody recognized ancient languages. As the spell formed Sean place a bloody thumb onto the spell circle engraved in the ring. The enchanted ring glowed and the binding began to take effect. Reality groaned underneath the ancient spell whose maker was lost to time. Sean's shadow seemed to lengthen and darken as he tapped into something. There was a smell of dirt, deep earth, rot, and bones. The spell reached out with icy claws in an instant to grab onto something almost fundamental to a person's or beings existence.

King Solomon, along with other wizards, had used that grip to bind various beings to their service and so did Sean.

"Be still," Sean said staring at Sam from across the arena as he tested the spell's hold. His focus entirely on keeping the seal intact. One of the teams had certainly... planned ahead.

[Nailah Weaver]

Meanwhile Nailah never even climbs into the ring, instead taking flight in a wide circle above the audience, looping around behind the opposing team.

[Samantha McManus]

Something about Sean's metaphysical grip on the Morrigan feels... uncertain. Like trying to grasp a fish fresh out of a lake. He's definitely managing to grab at her, but the object he used to establish the tie might be more tenuous than he'd have liked.

Sam goes to join the fight, but to her surprise and frustration her limbs fail to respond. This feels a bit too familiar for her liking, and she starts straining against the spell, gritting her teeth as her glaring eyes focus on Sean.

She's moving. Slowly, but more than she really ought to be able to.

And Sean can hear a noise like a thousand cawing birds about to descend upon him.

[Tereza Rozanov]

The golden irises wink out as Tereza growls something about 'what?' She glances around, the color bleeding entirely out of her hair, "Fine. Some help you are. Do this the old fashioned way then." Throwing her hands forward, she sends ice flying from them in Haley's direction.

[Nailah Weaver]

Wolves, hopefully distracted. Morrigan, stuck in slow motion. As soon as Will and Sean fire their opening salvo Nailah swoops down, right hand against her chest and using her elbow to try and strike at Sam's head.

[Sean Hall]

Something about Sean's metaphysical grip on the Morrigan feels... uncertain. Like trying to grasp a fish fresh out of a lake. He's definitely managing to grab at her, but the object he used to establish the tie might be more tenuous than he'd have liked.

Sam goes to join the fight, but to her surprise and frustration her limbs fail to respond. This feels a bit too familiar for her liking, and she starts straining against the spell, gritting her teeth as her glaring eyes focus on Sean.

She's moving. Slowly, but more than she really ought to be able to.

And Sean can hear a noise like a thousand cawing birds about to descend upon him.

There's a part of Sean that's not surprised, but still disappointed in the spell's lack of total control. There's a third quieter part that is full of glee at Sam's resistance meaning this fight would last longer. The third part makes Sean smile as he hear's the birds and alters an intonation for part of the seal, like a fighter changing grips. The grip became almost jagged like thorns or broken glass with Sean intending to interrupt Sam's counterattack and keep her focus on him.

Sean returns Sam's glare and through Sean's gaze Sam could probably feel the eerie sensation of something in a distant void turning a thousand eyes towards her. Unseen as it was two rather substantial powers were squaring off with one another.

[Haley Crusek]

The golden irises wink out as Tereza growls something about 'what?' She glances around, the color bleeding entirely out of her hair, "Fine. Some help you are. Do this the old fashioned way then." Throwing her hands forward, she sends ice flying from them in Haley's direction.

Haley squawked, and scampered to one side, trying to get out of the way of Tereza's ice blast. Concentrating, she tried to knock Tereza down with her telekenetic powers, trying to send her sprawling to the floor.

[Null]

Seeing everyone else locked in battle, Will's eyes met across the ring.

Will dashed after Will, slipping past the engaged wolves and going straight after his opposite number.

"C'mon, this will only take a sec..." he growled, increasing in size as his footsteps got louder, and louder. "Fe, fi, fo fum..."

[Will Stanton]

Will backed off, hands up in a defensive position...

...And then he slipped towards the ropes, sliding under the bottom rope and headed to the floor below.

[Samantha McManus]

If anything, the pain seems to galvanize the Morrigan's will, almost relishing the psychic agony. Sean can feel his grip slipping faster as Sam starts to jerk free. He almost loses it.

But then someone elbow-slams Sam in the back of the head, sending her tumbling.

Rude.

[Nailah Weaver]

Nailah can't help but laugh a little, even though she just hurt her friend. "On your left!" she taunts as Sam goes tumbling, curving around to avoid the blast of ice happening nearby and landing in a scrambling jog to try and rush at Sam before she has a chance to recover too much.

[Sean Hall]

There was nearly a moment of panic as Sean's spell began to fail, but Nailah's flying elbow saved the day. Sean adjusted the spell, changing several components. He knew if it continued to fail he'd be forced to fight Sam face-to-face and all of his ideas on how to do that involved injuring somebody. The adjusted spell's thorns withdrew and the grip turned smooth and clinging, a viscous living liquid prison. It crawled and spread to find openings to slow Sam down as Nailah advanced on the young war goddess.

[Null]

Will swore, and shrank down to squeeze under the ropes himself.

"This is not very brave of you, buddy! C'mon and take your medicine like a man!"