Neo League 0001 - NL#0042: Kuma vs Daniel

Description: Daniel Jack, Number 3 in the Neo-League, had reached that point through happenstance, pressure from the Chief, and also punching girls. However, when the Chief demands that he face the infamous Kuma in the Kuma Arena in his next Neo-League fight, the detective manages to protest. After all, fighting animals sounds an awful lot like animal abuse, and Daniel Jack had some principles to make a stand for. Unfortunately, he would have to make a stand before Heihachi himself... <WINNER: Kuma>



It was how every Neo-League match started for Daniel Jack.

He had just made it to Southtown, to prepare for his investigations of the bizarre activities that was running through the schools. When of course, he gets that phone call. That there is a change of plans, that he was expected to drop everything, and to make for the next Neo-League fight. "Yeah Chief, who am I fighting this time? More young ladies?" The detective was sardonic, but apprehensive. Looking out the window, he listens carefully as the Chief blares at him. Agent Little's face suddenly droops.

"Chief, are you telling me I have to fight a goddamn bear?"

**************

The site of the fight was the soon to be infamous Kuma Arena. The great arena was extravagent, filled to the brim with gaudy effigies in honor of bearkind. Gold-plated statues of bears hold up each of the pillars of the arena, while the half-full arena was filled with an eager audience ready to indulge in the gimmick of 'man vs bear.' In the center of the arena was a four-turnbuckle ring, which is black with a massive image of a mean looking bear within a circle in the middle. Each of the turnbuckles are highlighted with a single hairy paw. All that was missing now was Daniel Jack.

Who was being lead in, chattering on the phone.

"Look, Chief, I am looking at the law right now." The Agent of Interpol was clutching several print-outs, glaring at them furiously as he rattles off on the phone. "Bear fighting is definately against Interpol law dealing with Animal Cruelity; especially in competitive matches." The agent pauses as he approaches the middle of the arena, his eyes going wide. "What do you mean I have to look at clause 4.1? Fine, fine, I'm reading it now, it says- what the hell Chief. Why is there a Kuma clause? There is a Kuma clause here in an international statute dealing with animal abuse law. In fact, there is a subclause right here saying that 'friends of Kuma, such as Panda, are also exceptions from this law.' I don't even know which Panda it is referring to- look Chief. I am going to hang up now, because I am at the arena. I am going to fight the goddamn bear, and then you can scream at me for making the public image of Interpol being a bunch of shiftless bear punchers. That sounds great Chief? That sounds great." Daniel Jack simply shuts off his phone, tucking it into his suit jacket. Looking up at the center ring, he just tosses the papers aside.

"Hey, yeah, I'm here for the bear match."

Suddenly, there's a great roar within the Kuma Arena. A saddled bear being ridden by Heihachi enters, donned in armor upon chest, forearms, and thighs with a great horned helmet. He rears back, Heihachi lifting his fist within his standard karate gi. Charging forward, the crowd goes wild. Yes, it's been promoted. "KUMA: BREAKING INTO THE TOP THREE." "The Fall of the Lady Killer." Tens of thousands have been spent on Southtown being very aware that this fight is going to take place, and Kuma is decked to the nines. Dismounting to land heavily by the paw-capped turnbuckles, Kuma leaps up with a grunt, landing so heavily people can feel it in the first few rows. He starts to beat his chest and snarl, almost frantic. .oO( Kuma... if you win this fight into the Top 3... I'll give you a date with Panda!! ) Those words ring in his head like a mantra, eyes feral and wild, as he bares his claws with full killing intent. Daniel would feel the weight of a beast fall upon him outside the ring... the long shadow of one of nature's mightiest animals, trained by one of nature's greatest monsters. Yes, the stare of Heihachi is electric, slowly clenching a fist. 'Just beat him.' it says. 'I dare you.'
One way or another, Daniel Jack is not going to have a pleasant night.

Daniel Jack stares dead ahead as he hears the roar.

The entire thing rolls out like a bad play. The detective watches as the legendary Kuma comes roaring out, ridden by the even more legendary Heihachi. As he watches the bear in the viking helmet, he just crosses his arms. This was worse than he imagined. When he imagined fighting a bear, he imagined fighting something... his size. As the sheer mass of the bear comes thundering up into the ring, the roar causes the Agent's heart to falter. But if that didn't make the detective want to turn tail and run... it was the death glare of the one Heihachi, well known in Interpol as one of the most powerful fighters in all of history, fixed directly on him.

Daniel just sighs.
%"I've been in the underworld and back." The detective mutters to himself, rolling under the turnbuckles into the ring. "I can handle a bear." He tells himself, looking up at the titanic beast. The sheer size of the creature was even worse up close, the presence of the massive animal looming over him. Daniel Jack should have run. But as terror seizes his heart, he just brings forward his hands; palms forward, one behind the last. Spreading out his feet, he assumes the defensive stance of Todoh-Ryuu, as he just looks the animal in the eyes. Daniel Jack swallows hard.

Oh yeah, this was gonna suck.

Heihachi begins to laugh heavily to himself, before throwing a large fish up towards the armored bear. It hits Kuma in the shoulder and bounces off, landing wetly on the canvas of the ring. The hard eyes of the bear don't leave Daniel for even a second as he looms at his full, unimaginable height. "Hahaha! See how focused he is on killing you?! Better watch out!!" As the announcer finishes rattling off about how great Kuma is then gives two derogatory lines about Daniel Jack, he starts to say the rules, when...
"HIT THE BELL!" DING!! "KUMA, GET HIM!!"
And just like that, the massive armored bear lunges forward. He rears back his right hand, swinging with all his might in a brutal twisting rake at Daniel's torso. Shifting forward, his other arm similarly slams out, a second as he roars as loud as he can, saliva and spittle raining out from wickedly teethed jowls that could fit an entire man's head within.
Gone is the playful, loveable ursine with the red bandana this night!!

COMBATSYS: Kuma has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Kuma             0/-------/-------|


COMBATSYS: Daniel has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Daniel           0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0             Kuma


COMBATSYS: Daniel fails to interrupt Wild Lumberjack from Kuma with Light Random Weapon.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Daniel           0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0             Kuma


The fish.

As Heihachi tosses the fish into the ring, Daniel's mind begins to calculate. He listens. He parses the words. He doesn't look away from the bear's eyes. His fingers twitch, though, as it lands on the floor. So. Heihachi had trained this bear into a focused, killing machine, huh. As the bell rings, Daniel makes his move.

He dives down towards the fish.

As the claws come, the detective tries to move fast. Scooping up the massive fish, the agent of Interpol pivots, attempting to swing the massive fish hard staight at the nose of the larger beast. But the size and strength, as well as the position of the fish, was too much. Daniel groans in pain as his counter-slap is interrupting by the long, raking claws of the massive bear. The detective's body bleeds through the open wounds across his suit; the government issued outfit now well and ruined. Daniel Jack stumbles back, trying to get distance from the bear within the ring. He was bleeding, he was in agony. But as he retreats, he suddenly makes some taunting swings. Back and forth, in long swipes, was the massive fish he had now equipped.

He was still armed with a fish.

It takes Kuma a few moments to parse what happens, when he rips into Daniel like so much meat. He looks down at the blood upon his claws, before sniffing at the air. The wildness slowly leaves shis eyes, as does the poison of Heihachi's inflicted madness. Fish. The man tried to bribe him with a fish... what's he doing?! He's not some wild animal, here to savage people! Especially not for the amusement of a cheering crowd! Kuma looks apologetic suddenly, and then rears up on his hind legs, before rushing towards Daniel... in an attempt to embrace him in a savage, crushing hug. And try to eat the fish. "Roar! Snarl! << I,I'm sorry... I don't know what came over me!! >>" "KUMA YOU BASTARD! I SAID KILL HIM, NOT HUG HIM!!" Well, with the power behind him, the hug might be a lot more 'killing' than was initially intended. But most people are mistaking the metal-clad ursine's motion for a mauling, so cheer nonetheless!

COMBATSYS: Kuma successfully hits Daniel with Combo Mauling.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Daniel           1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0             Kuma


Daniel Jack almost was ready to put down a crazed animal.

He could see the rage in Kuma's eyes. He could see the feral rage, fueled by the madness inflicted by a raving madman. A madman who had nearly demi-god levels of strength, mind you, but still a madman. Daniel Jack had many tools ready; he could fake out the fish, and go for one of his signature counter-throws. He could simply sidestep, and follow up with a combination strike. There are many things he could do to bring down this bear. But he rejects them all because when he looks into Kuma's eyes.

He could see the transformation.

The perceptive eyes of the detective catches the glimmer of change from the massive beast. It may have been his time in the underworld, where his only friends were the guardian cats, or maybe it was his years of experience, but he could see that the bear was... sorry? The detective nods, empathetic to the bear's emotions, if not true meaning behind the growls. "Yeah, yeah, you don't want to fight! You just want some fish, and enjoy yourself!" For a moment, Daniel feels like he made a real breakthrough. Maybe this way, he would avoid a cruel display of fighting animals in front of people. But then he notices that Kuma was... moving towards him, arms open. The detective stumbles back, clutching the fish tight. "No- no I don't think you should-"

And Daniel finds himself in the grips of the bear.

"Huuurgh! Hurt! Hurt huggings! Huggings are now hurt!" The detective gags and gasps as he keeps within the grips of the titanic bear. Yes, to MOST people it looked like Daniel Jack was being mauled by a bear. But Daniel could see that the bear was not trying to be mean right now. He was just trying to be sorry. Daniel Jack groans while in the clutches of the massive bear, but reaching around, it looks like for a moment he was finally going to trigger his trap, and hurl the bear away in a counter throw-

Wait no.

He just pats Kuma on the back with one of his hands, hugging him back.

COMBATSYS: Daniel is waiting for something...

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Daniel           1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0             Kuma


"Roar!! << Of course I'd rather have a fish than fight! >>" Kuma states, nodding his head. He's intelligent, and actually quite adept at giving many subtle cues to his real thoughts and emotions. Heihachi is no animal whisperer; it's sheer affinity with a kindred soul, and Daniel can feel much of the same now that he has understood the kind of creature he's dealing with. Once the hug is completed, the fish is taken to the middle of the ring, where Kuma begins to munch on it happily, sprawling on his side. For a few seconds people wait, before the crowd begins to boo loudly. "What is this?!" "It was so good at the start!!" "I was promised a BLOODBATH!!"
However, Heihachi's aura suddenly silences the entire arena. All the hairs on Kuma's body go electric at once, and he freezes with the fish in his mouth. It is as if the grim reaper himself sprouted within the crackling form of the Mishima herald, his eyes blazing portals to a realm of pain beyond the Underworld.
"Kuma... and you, vermin... you will fight, or /I/ will..." Shivering like a baby cub, Kuma immediately gets to his feet once more. He flings the fish aside, and beckons desperately with his paw for Daniel to come at him. 'Do it.' those wide, fearful eyes say. This transcends animal cruelty to something else. A primal instinct that all intelligent creatures hold dear to their heart.
'Do it or /WE WILL BOTH DIE./'

COMBATSYS: Kuma takes no action.

[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Daniel           1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0             Kuma


The roar fills all around Daniel.

But Daniel was not afraid.

As Kuma nods his head, the detective realizes he could understand English. Kuma was not just any bear; he was remarkably intelligent, far more than his first appearance seemed. As Kuma release the detective, he gasps for air, his strength flowing back within him. He... he had a cracked rib, that much was certain. And the deep lacerations were probably going to need surgery. But despite that, as his friend, and Daniel could see someone like Kuma as a friend, goes for the fish, the detective could see very well what was going on.

Heihachi was trying to turn this intelligent beast into a martial machine.

As the crowd begins to boo, Daniel Jack just turns to look towards the audience, arms cross, his no-nonsense expression fixed on his face. Yeah, let the heat come. That was his gimmick in these Neo-League fights. The anti-fun fighter. However, when the booing stops dead, the detective realizes that something was very, very wrong. The agent of Interpol turns around, as Kuma looks like he is consumed by terror. And slowly, the agent's eyes drift to Heihachi. And then he realizes what had happened.

Heihachi wanted his fight more than the audience did.

The detective stands there, unable to move. He was frozen in terror, the dread locking him into place. He begins to shiver like Kuma, his opponent acting like a mere cub. As he throws away the fish, the detective looks at his friend, his knees knocking. He studies his stance, his expression. He knew what he was saying. He knew what should be done. They should continue their fight, because Heihachi wanted it. He wanted to show off Kuma as a killing machine. And if Daniel refused? Then he would be staring down the wrath of a demigod. Heihachi would kill Daniel, and he would get away with it. Nobody, not even Interpol, would challenge him for killing an agent. The answer seemed obvious for Daniel, as he turns his head to Kuma, jaw slack.

But there was a problem.

Daniel didn't back down to demigods.

"No, Kuma. It's not right." Was his answer to the bear's pleading gaze. Daniel Jack pulls the lead weights at his feet, dragging the sheer weight of terror that was once freezing him in place, as he moves to place himself between Kuma and Heihachi. Daniel's life flashes before his eyes the moment he makes that position; his entire existance becoming a mote in the very annals of time. There he was, an agent of Interpol, standing between the most powerful man in the world, and his bear. The detective takes a long breath in, before forcing his gaze to meet with the legendary Mishima. He looks Heihachi in the eyes, before choking out an answer.

"He doesn't want to fight, Mr. Mishima." The words come out trembling, weak in presence. But they come, steady and forced. "And I'm not going to fight a bear who isn't fighting of his free will. So I will leave if I have to. But before you lay a hand on Kuma, Mr. Mishima-" The detective falters, his gaze breaking from Heihachi. He knew the words he was about to say. Heihachi could very well know the words he was about to say. Daniel Jack knew very well the weight of the words he was about to say, and the consequences when he said them. Daniel closes his eyes for a moment, and then, the Agent of Interpol looks upon the face of death, to give him the ultimatum.

"You will have to go through me."

COMBATSYS: Daniel is waiting for something...

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Daniel           1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0             Kuma


Heihachi simply looks within the ring, the fire within his eyes growing further and further. Both of his fists clench so hard that the escaping air cracks like fireworks. His eyes widen, veins bulging across the glorious dome of dark skin. Muscles begin to bulge outwards, and his lips peel away from teeth grit so tightly that the crowd is amazed they don't shatter. "An insect like you.... dares to tell me what Kuma wants...?! I know him better than ANYONE!!"
Suddenly he leaps upwards, and then lands in the corner of the ring opposite Daniel. A great wave of electricity surges in all directions, the air seeming to grow hazy simply within proximity of the massive man. The simple capacity to exist near someone of this tier when his engine is revving... for the first time in awhile, Daniel will get to feel it. Twisting away, one fist clenches tightly, and the ground begins to rumble.
More, and more, and more.
"YOUR LIFE IS FORFEIT!!" The referee, of course, has already leapt out of the ring and can be seen as a little speck running into the distance, bursting out the double doors. The announcers say nothing, white ghosts who don't dare ring a bell or say a word.
And then Heihachi moves; lunging forward, it is clear every ounce of his strength is balled up within a brightly glowing fist. It pulses with the power of someone who stands literally with the Gods, if Igniz and Raiden are considered candidates. Descending with a dismissive force, intent on erasing the very existance of Daniel from this world--!!

COMBATSYS: Heihachi has joined the fight here as a boss!

                              HEIHACHI                              
  [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|---------------                


[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Daniel           1/-------/=======|===----\-------\0             Kuma


COMBATSYS: Heihachi knocks away Kuma with Lightning Hammer.

                              HEIHACHI                              
  [  |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|---------======                


[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Daniel           1/-------/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2             Kuma


No. No!! "Roar! Snarl!! << You're wrong!! I don't dislike fighting. I like to train!! Heihachi is my friend, not my master!! >>" Maybe if all of this had been conferred to Daniel before the criticality of denouncing the other man as a tyrant, things could have been different. But it's too late; he is coming, and there is no way to stop it. Kuma knows the other man better than anyone alive. In this state... he will do it. He'll kill Daniel, and not even care. There's only one way to snap him out of it, and that way is...
A huge paw grasps Daniel by the shoulder, and hurtles him sideways. Kuma stands tall and proud, glaring up at the fist of Heihachi before it strikes him in the middle of the chest. Lightning explodes out, flaring so bright his bear-ish ribcage is visible. Smoldering fur is everywhere, and he's sent hurtling backwards like a smoking meteor, rebounding off the ring and hitting a turnbuckle.
Exploding right through it, he continues on to land in a heap, smashing the metal barrier between himself and the crowd, knocking many out of their seats with a cry of alarm. Horribly beaten and bloodied, still Kuma manages to shift and collapse to all fours, trembling head to toe.
Yes. He could survive that. Barely. A single blow from one of the strongest men alive... when unharmed. "Grrr... << He's... my friend. Leave him alone....!! >>" And then Kuma charges with all his might, intent on reaching Heihachi and then unleashing a brutal lunging pounce, to pin him to the ground and being biting and ripping into the man, even as acrid clouds of black smoke continue to billow from the burnt imprint of the man's fist into his massive chest!!

Daniel understands what Kuma was trying to say.

The trouble was that Daniel heard the same thing, from black-eyed woman telling about their husbands, to panicked businessmen trying to figure out where their partner had gone. Kuma might have seen Heihachi as a friend. But if they were truly friends... then Heihachi would back down, when he saw his friend was not having fun.

Heihachi did not back down.

Daniel Jack actually just closes his eyes. He had no reason to fear death, when death came so swiftly. The underworld would be a cakewalk, when his time had properly come. As the electricity fills the air around him, suppressing his aura and consuming it whole, he waits. He waits for the death blow. The crack comes, and Daniel's eyes open wide. But he was not dead. He only could feel the recoil from the blow, as someone had come in, at the last minute, to take the hit for him.

"Kuma-!!!"

The cry escapes Daniel's lips as the bear, who just moments ago was prepared to maul him, to rip him to pieces, had just taken a metaphorical bullet for him. The detective stares at the smoking form of Kuma, eyes wide in dread. But as the bear rises from the crater, the detective suddenly felt himself surge with courage. He turns back to the man who had struck the blow on his bear companion, falling back to his defensive stance of Todoh.

And Daniel was mad.

As the bear makes his move, Daniel Jack himself keeps in tandem, the link between them tenacious. He was not as intuitively aware as Heihachi was; but he could at least sense that the angry bear was making his move at Heihachi, not Daniel. Orange energy surges to his arm as he repositions, moving to flank Heihachi as Kuma comes for the pounce. As he gets in place, the detective takes a deep breath in.

And flattens his hand.

Orange chi flows to his hand as his arm tightens. He was dead focused now on the balding man. The balding. He focuses his eyes on the bald spot between the two spikes of hair. Focus. There were two approaches one could take with this man, outside of pants-wetting submissive posing. The first was to approach him, cold and calm, and face the pure technique of Mishima. That was dangerous and likely to result in 6 months in the hospital. The other approach was... to enrage him. To let him break his focus out of anger, or spite, or confusion. If that happened... the outcome was much more likely to be death. Not hospital stay for 6 months. Death. But there was an opportunity there for missteps. Like his own attempt to hit Kuma in the snout with a fish... maybe there was a weakness on this demigod. An Achilles Heel.

Or a Mishama Hairline.

The detective focuses on the spot, the bald spot between the two tufts of hair. As Kuma goes for the frontal assault, he aims for the precision. Daniel Jack exhales, as his body flows. In a single, smooth strike, the detective unleashes the hand strike, aiming squarely between the tufts of hair upon the man's head. Aiming to strike with bone shattering force, to stun him. To stop him. But what was more likely to happen...

To enrage him.

COMBATSYS: Heihachi endures Kuma's Feeding Frenzy.

                              HEIHACHI                              
  [            |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|----===========                


[          \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Daniel           0/-------/------=|>>>>>>>\>------\1             Kuma


COMBATSYS: Heihachi counters World's Greatest Hand Chop from Daniel with Heaven's Wrath EX.
*KNOCKED AWAY*

                              HEIHACHI                              
  [            |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 0|---------------|-==============                


[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Daniel           1/-------/=======|>>>>>>>\>------\1             Kuma


"KUMA! NOOOO!" Heihachi can't stop his attack from striking the bear, and sending him flying. He immediately grasps the side of his head, eyes nearly filling up with tears in horror. But then he witnesses the bear begin to get up, and there's sheer pride within him. "That's my boy!! Something like that won't put you down!!" Then... Daniel would feel it. In that moment, the strongest man in the world had true, heartfelt grief. The bond Kuma and him share is real. What is happening here is not animal abuse; it is a friend doing a favor for a friend, as any other would do even if it was unpleasant. It's almost touching, had an attempt on his life not taken place right before.
And then Heihachi turns his face to glare towards Daniel as he approaches, clenching his fists. Kuma impacts him like a ton of bricks, but the scion of the Iron Fist doesn't even move. Not when there's a huge grizzly ripping into him with claws, teeth clamped on his head as blood flows across an eye. "This is your fault!! You made me HURT HIM!!" In deference to Kuma, he won't try to kill the other person anymore. But an exhale follows, remarkable composure given the dangling ursine, before he suddenly catches the palm in his fists.
A brutal uppercut slams into Daniel's stomach, to knock every bit of wind from him. A huge burst of lightning flows through him afterwards, then a short, violent kick skips the hapless detective off the ground towards one of the unbroken turnbuckles, although not so hard this time as to go through the padded metal... ergo, likely to mangle it badly! "SO I'LL HURT YOU!!"

Kuma lets go of Heihachi once it's apparent he's being literally ignored despite the attempting mauling. It really says a lot about the man that he can do that, and still have such menace and composure in the midst of trying to destroy a person. How can such a hulking creature feel so small? No... no!! If Daniel is to survive, they must strike down Heihachi while they still can. "ROAR!! SNARL!! << Follow my lead. Look into your heart. You must... knock him down...! >>"
Daniel? Knock down the STRONGEST MAN ALIVE? How could he...?
And then Kuma turns his back, before hiking up his rump, tail lifted. Paws thump on either side of his hips, rakishly propping them out. His upper back arches.
And Kuma begins to dance backwards, the ground rumbling like an earthquake with each riotous step...!!

Well, good news, and bad news.

The good news was that Daniel was not going to die. That was, in fact, very good news. The bad news was, as he watches Heihachi and Kuma's chemistry in motion, he began to see that there was, in fact, some love between the man and his bear. At least, the kind of love that could happen between a man and a bear. It was a misunderstanding, in a sense, which came to the bad news.

The bad news was Heaven's Wrath.

As the uppercut connects, Daniel's handchop stops dead. Electricity flows through him as everything just goes blank. If that wasn't enough, the kick that comes afterwards doesn't even register with the detective. Steadily, slowly, he comes to. He realizes that he was wrapped around a turnbuckle, the post literally bent around his torso. He also realizes that he is still alive. Standing up, he eases himself on the remains of the ring ropes. He then turns around, leaning over the said ropes.

And promptly, begins to vomit.

Everything comes out; blood, mucus, bile. It was like he was hit by a car. Hell, a car would have left him in better shape. And yet, as he struggles to rise back up, he manages to stand. Weakly wiping his mouth, he lets out a sound, somewhere between a whimper and a gurgle. Pushing himself away from the ropes, he stares across at Heihachi. Oh no. He was still alive. That meant he had to go back in there. Terror surges back to Daniel's knees. His body was beginning to feel like jelly.

It takes Kuma to strengthen him.

As the roar and the snarl comes, the detective immediatley comes to. While the details were vague, he could understand that the bear was up to something, and he needed Daniel to help him. Help him... knock him down? The feeling that he had to knock Heihachi down filled him. But how? And there, he realized, what he would need to knock him down.

"I understand, Kuma!" He begins to roar, charging towards Heihachi. Everything felt... broken. But fortunately, everything still felt a little numb, so that meant that it was balanced out. As his companion begins his jig, the detective lunges in, throwing out the most familiar of his technique: A palm strike with the left, a hand chop with the right. The combination would likely be scoffed at by Heihachi, and then immediately met with a punch to the face. But the detective would then unleash the trump card.

A slash of orange chi with the left.

A small Kasane Ate, designed to stun him, before he dips in. Attempting to grab the Heihachi by his waist and shoulder, Daniel would give his last hail mary, a desperate attempt to hip throw him right to the ground. The three technique of Todoh-Ryuu, all bundled into a single move, to try and hurl the titan down.

And right in the path of the frolicking bear.

COMBATSYS: Kuma and Daniel successfully hit Heihachi with Dancing Sunset.

                              HEIHACHI                              
  [                         ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 1|-------========|===============                


[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////                ]
Daniel           0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0             Kuma


"What--Kuma!! How dare you use our secret attack on me!! Wait... Hah! That whelp would never knock me down!!" Heihachi ignores the advancing bear as he dances his merry jig, flexing his muscles so hard the upper part of his gi explodes off into tatters, showing every perfectly etched muscle upon his form. He manages to repel the palm strike, smack away the hand chop, before rearing back an arm with an intention of striking out... and then he's blasted in the face with a puff of chi. It more blinds him than anything, only for all the right force in all the right places to cause him and Daniel to tumble backwards, thumping.
"ARGH! KUMA, NOOOOO--"
And then the rampaging bear stamps and Stamps and STAMPS down, hitting Heihachi multiple times. Somehow, Daniel is avoided with each carefully applied foot, and when the assault is finished, the Mishima lays on his stomach, bear-prints all over his body.
"Hahaha... HAHAHA... Excellent. Fine!! I accept you as Kuma's companion!! But... there's still the VICTOR to determine. So. WHOEVER IS LEFT STANDING!!"
With that, Heihachi kip-ups violently to his feet. Before he then whirls around, lunging to grasp both the bear and Daniel by the throats...
And then /brutally headbutt both of them at the same time./
"IS THE WINNER!!"

COMBATSYS: Heihachi successfully hits Kuma with Stonehead EX.
# Disabling hit! #

                              HEIHACHI                              
  [                         ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 1|-----==========|===============                


[                    \\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Daniel           0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0             Kuma


COMBATSYS: Heihachi successfully hits Daniel with Stonehead EX.
# Disabling hit! #

                              HEIHACHI                              
  [                         ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 1|===============|===============                


[                        \\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Daniel           0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0             Kuma


Kuma feels bad to be stomping on his master in such a brutal fashion; but he had no choice. They have properly managed to amuse the man to the point Daniel is no longer going to die. He can tell now that his life isn't in danger. That's good. Of course, the reciprocation is another matter entirely... when the massive headbutt comes, he's not prepared. Leaning his head forward, the partial dome hit explodes the metal of his horned helm, sending fragments in all directions. He accordians in on himself, eyes lolling and tongue sticking out. "...!!" But then, he slowly rises back up, and looks to Daniel. Blood coming from his nose and the split in his head. "Roar. << Please... I must win. For... love. >>
And then he tries to just lightly push Daniel over. There is no threat to it. It will only happen...
If Jack allows it.

COMBATSYS: Kuma successfully hits Daniel with Weakened Quick Toss EX.

                              HEIHACHI                              
  [                         ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 1|===============|===============                


[                         \\\\\  < >  ////////                      ]
Daniel           0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0             Kuma


Was this it?

As Daniel blinds Heihachi with his slash of chi, the spirit of Todoh fills him as he hurls him to the ground. Hands out, he watches as Kuma comes roaring in, trotting and hotstepping over the poor old man. For a moment, Daniel believed. He believed that he made it out of this okay. He believed that he had won this.

But then Heihachi shoots up.

Daniel has a kind of blank expression on his face as the old man shoots up to grab both the bear and himself by the necks. It was almost surreal. Glancing aside, he looks at his companion, bracing himself for impact. Both man and bear are smashed together... but in true tenacious endurance, neither had been the one to fall. Kuma might not have been prepared, but he was a bear. Daniel was prepared, and that was enough to keep him standing. He was ready for the next smash, as his eyes rolling around in his head.

Daniel looks Kuma in the eyes.

And he understood. He knew what the bear meant. Kuma could win this fight, for Daniel had won the most important battle of all: He had taken a stand for bear rights. And above all, he had shown that he was not a lady beater. Instead, he was a friend to the most gentle of earth's creatures: The bear. Daniel Jack nods his head as Kuma pushes Daniel.

And he suddenly seizes up.

"Oaaaaagh!" Was the cry from the detective as he begins to topple over. "Kuma, how could yooooooou!" He states loudly, as the detective of Interpol collapses on his back. His eyes were shut, and he was not responsive. It seemed that after all this, Kuma had finally come out on top. Everyone in the audience would be pleased... with one exception. A phone rolls out from the depths of Daniel's suit, landing on the floor. As Kuma's victory seemed assured...

The phone begins to ring loudly.

COMBATSYS: Daniel is waiting for something...

                              HEIHACHI                              
  [                         ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 1|===============|===============                


[                      \\\\\\\\  <
Kuma             0/-------/--=====|


COMBATSYS: Daniel can no longer fight.

                              HEIHACHI                              
  [                         ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 1|===============|===============                


[                      \\\\\\\\  <
Kuma             0/-------/--=====|


Kuma throws his arms up into the air, before he suddenly flicks an ear and then wanders over, crouching to pluck up the phone between huge talons. He carefully presses the 'speak' button, holding it to a rounded ear. "Aroo? << Daniel Jack cannot come to the phone right now. Can I take a message? >>"

"KUMA, YOU RAT BASTARD!! LIKE HELL I'LL ALLOW THIS!!" Heihachi then lunges out, intentfully moving to grasp the huge ursine by the scruff and heft him into the air. Before surges of chi ripple forth, with the intention of then hurling him atop Daniel with all the force he can muster, likely knocking the latter out in a genuine fashion, depending on how well he could handle a thousand pounds+ of bear. Before going, "Eh?" and then moving to pluck up the phone. "YOU ARE SPEAKING TO HEIHACHI MISHIMA, THE MOST POWERFUL MAN ALIVE. MAKE YOUR SECONDS COUNT, WORM!!"

COMBATSYS: Heihachi dazes Kuma with Freefall!

                              HEIHACHI                              
  [                           ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 2|<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<|<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<                


[                                <
Kuma             1/---====/=======|


COMBATSYS: Kuma takes no action.

                              HEIHACHI                              
  [                           ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 2|<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<|<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<                



COMBATSYS: Kuma can no longer fight. Is this the end of lovable Kuma?

                              HEIHACHI                              
  [                           ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 2|<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<|<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<                



"LITTLE YOU PIECE OF CRAP!"

That was the scream from the phone as Kuma pokes the phone. "I JUST HEARD THE WORD FROM THE BREAKROOM! I HAD MONEY ON YOU, DAMMIT! YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE CIA IS GOING TO MAKE ME DO NOW!? MAKE ME PAY OUT THE NOSE, THAT'S WHAT! HOW COULD YOU LOSE TO A BIG DUMB BEAR LIKE THAT! HELL, EVEN IF THAT BALD-HEADED MORON HEIHACHI DIDN'T SCREW AROUND, YOU'D PROBABLY STILL-"

There is a brief pause on the phone, as Heihachi screams back.

The silence on the phone is pregnant. In the background, the distant sound of a printer running is heard. The silence breaks with a modest, even embarrassed tone of voice. "I am sorry, Mr. Mishima." Was the reply from the Chief. "I... Oh no." Was the muttering on the phone. "Oh no. I- Mr. Mishima, I-" There is another moment of silence. "I must have the wrong number." Was the hasty answer.

And the line goes dead.

The aura of intensity surging from Heihachi can be felt. His eyes are wide, as he says only a single thing before they hang up. "TELL PANDA THE DATE IS OFF." Who the hell is Panda?! They better find out, as the phone just got obliterated. Picking up the unconscious Kuma, Heihachi starts pumping him up and down in his arms. "KUMA WINS!" "SHUT UP, WE WON'T ACCEPT THIS!" "THIS WAS BULLSHIT!" "THEY STOPPED FIGHTING!!"
"SCREW YOU ALL!!" Heihachi roars, hurling Kuma's body into the crowds as people scatter. He then leaps after, landing explosively amidst dozens of people and beginning to swing, sending people flying as they shriek and flee. "WHAT I SAY GOES, DAMNIT! I'LL PROVE IT TO YOU ALL!!"

Two Hours Later:

WINNER: KUMA

Log created on 22:03:14 01/09/2015 by Daniel, and last modified on 03:17:40 01/10/2015.