[The kick doesn't quite hit the mark, but it's close--close enough that it catches him in the abdomen instead, and he hasn't yet lost the instinct to cry out in pain. He has none of his future power here, no Vision, no Delusion, nothing more--nothing but a will to live, and an ever-growing ruthlessness, nurtured by his second, otherworldly home.
He hasn't made it this long for nothing.
So the kick takes him down, and he yells, hands scraping the floor as he falls. But the second his fingers brush a sharp scrap of metal, he grabs it tightly, uncaring of whether or not it cuts his fingers in the process. He rolls over quickly, and tries to drive it into Endorsi's shoulder.]
[Endorsi lets out a cry of pain when the metal stabs into her shoulder, as she stumbles back—the real question now being whether Childe's yanking that metal out or leaving it there. Still, through adrenaline, she at least tries to scratch his face.]
[He'll yank it out, but not nicely. Instead, it's reflex, as he jerks his arm up try and cover his face--but he's too slow. Her nails drag down his cheek, too close to his eyes for comfort, and he grits his teeth.
He doesn't know her here. And even if he did...
If you want to be that one, you'll have to prove yourself.
So he shoots his hand out and grab her face, trying to slam her down to the ground. And if that succeeds, he won't hesitate try and stab her again. Perhaps if he were older, with a little more experience under his belt, he'd make this quick and clean. Respect for a strong opponent, of some sort. (Maybe. No guarantee.) But as it stands, he's all ferocity and survival and not enough knowledge. So he aims to drive the metal directly into her throat, as hard and fast as he can.]
[Sorry Endorsi. He doesn't feel bad about this at all.
And he hears those footsteps, he does, but Endorsi's not dead yet. She's still breathing, even if it's weak, her eyes are still meeting his, and his master said--Skirk said--
Don't look away until the light's gone.
So he can't turn. He can't risk making assumptions. He drives the metal down even deeper, breathing raggedly, hoping she'll die before he has to--
--but Zhongli's faster than he looks, and Childe feels the air moving, hears the sound of the rod in the air just a little too late. He tries to duck, but it's not far enough, and he yells again, knocked off of Endorsi and onto the ground beside her, bloodied hand coming up to grip at the back of his head in pain.
He fights through it enough to scramble around and get Zhongli in his line of sight, but there are spots in his vision, and he's moving a little slower now. Bad.]
[Childe dies instantly and frees me from having to ever write another strip check-- no okay.
It's easier this time, even with the throb of pain in his head. He's down, but he's not out yet, and this isn't the worst he's ever had. Nothing yet compares to that.
So he fights through it, and when the rod comes back towards him, he's ready. He catches it with both hands, and pulls the rod towards himself, lashing out with his foot towards Zhongli in the process. He's aiming for the knee, hoping he's got enough force behind his kick to break it--but he'll settle for a stumble. Anything to get Zhongli off-balance, to get the upper hand.]
Since baby Zhongli does not have his Jade Shield, Childe's hit connects and breaks his knee! Ow. Zhongli collapses to the floor, letting go of his rod in the process.
[If only they were about a decade older and (muffled spoiler noises), Childe would be having a great day.
As it is, though, a stranger is meaningless to him. He needs to survive this, and so he will. End of story.
As soon as Zhongli's grip on the rod loosens, Childe forces energy back into his muscles, surging up unsteadily to his feet. He swings the bar around as hard as he can, just to make sure Zhongli's well and truly down on the floor, then takes a second to catch his breath as he walks over to stand above him.
He looks down, and stares at his face, just for a moment--
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He hasn't made it this long for nothing.
So the kick takes him down, and he yells, hands scraping the floor as he falls. But the second his fingers brush a sharp scrap of metal, he grabs it tightly, uncaring of whether or not it cuts his fingers in the process. He rolls over quickly, and tries to drive it into Endorsi's shoulder.]
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He doesn't know her here. And even if he did...
If you want to be that one, you'll have to prove yourself.
So he shoots his hand out and grab her face, trying to slam her down to the ground. And if that succeeds, he won't hesitate try and stab her again. Perhaps if he were older, with a little more experience under his belt, he'd make this quick and clean. Respect for a strong opponent, of some sort. (Maybe. No guarantee.) But as it stands, he's all ferocity and survival and not enough knowledge. So he aims to drive the metal directly into her throat, as hard and fast as he can.]
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Still, Childe might want to be careful... because as he's doing this, Zhongli's dashing from behind, swinging his rod at Childe's head.]
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And he hears those footsteps, he does, but Endorsi's not dead yet. She's still breathing, even if it's weak, her eyes are still meeting his, and his master said--Skirk said--
Don't look away until the light's gone.
So he can't turn. He can't risk making assumptions. He drives the metal down even deeper, breathing raggedly, hoping she'll die before he has to--
--but Zhongli's faster than he looks, and Childe feels the air moving, hears the sound of the rod in the air just a little too late. He tries to duck, but it's not far enough, and he yells again, knocked off of Endorsi and onto the ground beside her, bloodied hand coming up to grip at the back of his head in pain.
He fights through it enough to scramble around and get Zhongli in his line of sight, but there are spots in his vision, and he's moving a little slower now. Bad.]
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The good news is that Endorsi isn't getting up. The bad news is that Zhongli doesn't hesitate to swing again at Childe.]
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It's easier this time, even with the throb of pain in his head. He's down, but he's not out yet, and this isn't the worst he's ever had. Nothing yet compares to that.
So he fights through it, and when the rod comes back towards him, he's ready. He catches it with both hands, and pulls the rod towards himself, lashing out with his foot towards Zhongli in the process. He's aiming for the knee, hoping he's got enough force behind his kick to break it--but he'll settle for a stumble. Anything to get Zhongli off-balance, to get the upper hand.]
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Since baby Zhongli does not have his Jade Shield, Childe's hit connects and breaks his knee! Ow. Zhongli collapses to the floor, letting go of his rod in the process.
Meanwhile, Endorsi perishes. Good job, Childe!]
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As it is, though, a stranger is meaningless to him. He needs to survive this, and so he will. End of story.
As soon as Zhongli's grip on the rod loosens, Childe forces energy back into his muscles, surging up unsteadily to his feet. He swings the bar around as hard as he can, just to make sure Zhongli's well and truly down on the floor, then takes a second to catch his breath as he walks over to stand above him.
He looks down, and stares at his face, just for a moment--
--then takes a breath, and swings the bar down.]
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Aka Childe bashes Zhongli's head in. Enjoy the moment for your future self, Childe.
... Not that he can for very long, before he's whisked away again.]