Soldier Like Me(Natasha/Uriel)

What did it mean to truly fight for a cause? To fight wearing the symbol of bravery of one's chest? Countless soldiers had lived and died coming to their own conclusions. Survivors struggled with their purpose in the aftermath while other reaffirmed the reasons for why the chose to raise their weapons.

Purpose. Duty. A loved one. Country. There were various answers yet whenever the blue-eyed sharpshooter pondered on her own purpose, she found that much of her reason or purpose seemed inferior, false, not even worth a grain of dirt.

To those who knew her intimately, who had come to their own conclusions about Natasha, such self-depreciating thoughts would've been viewed as incomprehensible. She wore a lovely smile, she danced among the crowd with a vibrant aura, and wooed the crowd with her signature accent - that southern drawl'. These thoughts she struggled with continued to grow by the day. Ever since her promotion, she seemed to be quietly unraveling.

She began to question herself, to reflect on the memories she thought she had left in her hometown. Was she suited for this job? Would she repeat history? Would she make her peers proud? Torturous questions like these had come to dominate her daily thought and if one decided to gleam a little closer, to gaze at her appearance, they'd likely perceive the bags in her eyes, the defeated posture but... she hid it so well. She had to. This was the mask she chose to wear. She had to distract herself from these thoughts.

Perhaps training would help be the reminder? Who seemed like a suitable sparring partner? Natasha browsed through her phone until she chanced across Uriel's number. Ah, that was right. He had given her his card if she ever wished to see him again. He seemed like a battle-tested man. Why not entertain the thought of challenging him and testing the extents of her abilities?

Hopefully, he wasn't too busy. She would send him a text as she rose from her bed and prepared herself, adorning herself within sternritter robes. Making her way from the house, she chanced upon a training ground and sent a secondary text, notifying the Todgestalten administrator of her location if he decided to accept her friendly challenge. Whether she was out of her element or not remained to be seen. She needed the distraction. Anything to keep the crippling self-doubt from setting in...

The tall, blonde-haired man of the hour had finally arrived at the appointed location as he stepped before Natasha. He was a cordial sort. Always composed, a voice of reason if there ever was. Though they knew each other but for a short time, she was fond of his company and respected the way he carried himself.

To be certain, much like any other Quincy in the Vandenreich, she was not aware of any of his abilities nor were his files easily accessible, though that was to be expected given his nature as the administrator of the Todegalsten.

He would be an opponent she'd have to adapt to on the fly. With her spellcraft and reishi absorption, she' wondered how she'd fare but if she were to grow stronger, perhaps a stronger enemy would bring her closer to the level she desire in her heart.

If nothing else, even if she was exhausted and her mood wasn't the most pristine, she would honor his time by giving it her all. She had to. Natasha miller had to be strong. She couldn't repeat the mistakes of her past, even if she felt they defined who she was.

"Howdy' there, darlin'. It's good to see ya again, too. I've been well. A little tired and exhausted the past few weeks but relatively fine otherwise, ya know? Ya' said I ever needed anythin', I had your card. Uh... I might not be much but I wanted to test my skills against you and grow stronger, find areas where I need to improve as a coordinator ya know? How've you been, handsome?" She'd quip playfully as she slowly guided them towards a training ground, an area where they could fight without interruption.

"Ooo~ I sure do love confidence in a man'. Guess I made the right choice, huh, darlin~?" Natasha would chuckle softly as they arrived at the training ground. It was a rather sizable area fit for two to spar and duel until their heart was content. They were a few medics within the area to make sure that any Vandenreich member would be tended to as they nurse any wounds, scars, or bruises that might occur from a heated battle, even in training. When she listened to what he'd been up to, she could not help but to indulge herself in that playful nature of hers, ever the affectionate tease with a carefree smile that lit the entire room.

"Aw shucks, ya' been eatin sad meals and spendin yer' time alone in the office, soldier? With a face like that? Ya know my number's only a call away, sweetheart. I'll fix ya' nice home cooked meal' and visit ya' in the office any day tha' week," She'd quip playfully, turning to him with a wink before a soft chuckle escaped her lips in reply to his next words. Of course, she was respectful enough to take him seriously, but flirting always eased the mood in her eyes. Even her own... sometimes.

"Hotter than you already are, sweetheart? Unless you mean a different type o' heat, hehehe. Playful flirtin' aside, I suppose we can get a feel and go through our preliminary abilities. Truth be told, I'm still figurin' out if I wanna pursue the path of Vollstandig or Letz Stil. I've been trainin' and studyin' to come to the conclusion, and thought a fight against someone of yer' ilk might get me ever closer to that decision."

Two spirit weapons fashioned into the form of guns would appear within the palm of her hands. One resembling a Beretta M9 Pistol - Roxanne - and the other, resembling a Magnum Research Desert Eagle Mark XIX - Casanova. Gazing up at him she would move a few meters apart, observing his appearance and how he would perform. What were his abilities like? She wondered.

"If yer' rearin' and ready to go, partner', I'll let ya make the first move."

Even though the time for battle was nigh, Natasha couldn't help but form a smile in reply to the tall man's appreciation of her weapons. For him to be wielding a sword, the blue-eyed sharpshooter certainly didn't expect commentary of that nature. "Fellow gunman, eh? Gotta' admit' I didn't expect that considerin' that weapon ya wield but I'd love to talk about all types of em' when the battle is over' or me visitin' ya to share a meal like I promise, darlin'." With that, Natasha would keep her eyes at the ready as Uriel drew his longsword.

In that moment, the temperature within the arena would begin to rise rapidly as a blinding light emitted from his blade. An interesting blade, to be certain. She knew not of it's nature yet she'd keep her eyes peeled all the same. Uriel was a warrior she had to focus the entirety of her attention on lest she find the battle decided before it ever truly begins.

He would vanish but for a moment, appearing behind at her at a remarkable speed. Natasha was prepared to meet him head on, expecting a slash only for him to go for in for a sweep with his left leg. She would allow that leg to connect with her own legs, falling back so that she could form an acrobatic movement in the air, flipping backwards to aim her guns at him.

Knowing he'd likely deflect them, Natasha fired a wave of reishi bullets at him from above to gauge his reaction time. She wondered how much he knew about her and what she could get away with in battle. These guns were, after all, a product of her spellcraft. Her true spirit weapon could come in handy here. Of course, with no knowledge of this man as a fighter, she could only work on a strategy of gauge and observation. A game of cat and mouse. Only question was... would she actually succeed? It was worth findin' out.

Phew, that sword wasn't merely for show. Her reishi bullets would be deflected off course by the rapid movement's of the blazing warrior's blade. Natasha knew that landing a bullet on him wouldn't be an easy venture. Not in the slightest. Moving in to face him in physical combat considering their difference in size didn't seem as though it would offer her much in the realm of securing victory.

She could hold her own well enough in hand-to-hand combat but there was still room for improvement, no doubt. Natasha would land a few meters away, yet Uriel's aim was to keep her on her feet, as he shot forward with a natural speed that left her in awe. A left hand strike would come barreling in towards her right side, aimed towards her midsection.

The difference in their speed would leave the woman at a disadvantage as she could only raise her arm up quick enough to react to the strike and prevent it from hitting her midsection, temporarily utilizing her blut to at least take some brunt of the damage. The force behind it was strong enough rattle her arm, yet as one not privy to his abilities, the burning imprint left on her arm caused her to grunt ever so slightly. A hell of a follow-up. She didn't want to take another blow like that. Well, at least she could flex the first imprint to some people and talk about how she would one on the arm from Uriel. In the meantime...

He was a skilled close-quarter combatant and admittedly, Natasha envied that. She was adequate with CQC and knew her fair share but this man... phew. Needed to keep her distance with this bad boy. And she would, using Hirenkyaku to create some separation as she waved her arm around to ensure it could still move.

"Leavin' yer mark on me already, handsome? We haven't even made it to the first date yet. That said, I'm pretty fired up myself, honey! Come on, show me what else ya' got!"

Natasha would channel her reishi as she brought her guns forward, forming her true spirit weapon - Deadeye, six gun shells manifesting before her. She would quickly slot six - split into two sets of three - bullet shells into the chambers of Roxanne and Casanova, firing them towards Uriel. There was a significant difference between the reishi bullets fired from before and the silver and azure-colored shells soaring towards him now. Namely, the methods in which they could reach the enemy.

They could be fired from her gun, thrown towards the enemy, and the most important - Natasha could control their trajectory as they soared towards the enemy. Even after being fired, Natasha could still manipulate their direction, reload them with the reishi in the air, and redirect them towards the enemy, inhibiting her opponent's ability to properly get an idea of where deadeye's bullet shells would strike. Would he deflect again or pursue her next or throw some other form or technique out? She kept her feet in motion, wondering how Uriel would react and where she could aim the bullets next if he chose to defend against them.