Description: Zach Glenn's semi-lucid dream visions continue! He finds himself in a skyscraper in Southtown, with a small army at his back. Though somehow, things are... different this time.
A night out on the town. Dining. Dancing. Drinking. Possibly a bit too much of all three, though, as Honoka and Zach had both found themselves exhausted. They could have called Sudo for a ride back to the circus, but Sudo has made his displeasure of Zach's presence fairly clear in the past. And they -could- go back to Zach's place, but it's... kind of far.
So the couple had decided to get a fancy hotel room with a great view of the skyline of downtown Southtown. Plus it had a hot tub.
It was a good night, to say the least.
But now, for Zach, the world is on fire again. It feels... different this time. For one thing, the scene is different. More vibrant -- it's clearly recognizable as a building in downtown Southtown, perhaps one the couple had passed while looking for the hotel. And the fire has that same impending threat as the last -- there's the -suggestion- of danger, but it doesn't feel hot unless one thinks explicitly about how hot it -should- be.
This has to be a dream. It's starting just like the others.
"Seriously," Zach wonders aloud. "I have a GREAT night, and then it's the fire and blood. What the actual fuck?" Zach considers his options for a moment. Lately, these dreams have been somewhat... lucid. That would suggest that he has some control.
Zach sweeps his arm from left to right, simply trying to will the flames down.
The flames are quelled by the sweeping gesture of Zach's arm, bringing the features of the downtown Southtown building into even sharper relief. And yet, the mystery remains -- what building -is- this?
And who are the people walking into the building? They are all dressed in black, and all Asian, but it is hard to pin them down to a specific nationality due to the nearly opaque sunglasses covering their eyes. The men are armed with handguns -- though little else. Security professionals? Armed hitmen? It's hard to be sure.
But, there all along, is the leader. Black hair is pulled into a tight bun. Her white coat reflects the bluish moonlight. Her black pantsuit is tailored to the nines, fitting the young woman like a glove. She, too, is wearing glasses, though the lenses are tinted purple.
She holds her right hand out to the side. She makes a gesture to follow.
And then she steps into the building, granting no time for explanation. Time is short.
Zach follows, finding that he is wearing a similarly tailored suit and sunglasses. Zach's are tinted black as well. He also notes, with a bit of alarm, that he is carrying his Colt Close Quarters Battle Pistol and that oddly familiar wakazashi. Of course time is short. Of course there is no explanation.
Something is off about this, but he cannot place it. So for now, Zach follows, hoping to figure out what is going on here.
The pair steps into a long entrance foyer, with decadent marble flooring. The onyx-themed building just screams opulence, the mark of someone with way too much money to spend, trying to court other people with similar values to contribute more to the cause. It's... it's a bit much.
The receptionist's desk is vacant -- indeed, aside from the dozen security officers, the place is deserted. There are two elevators ahead, and ten of the armed men file into one on the left. The leader, and the other two, step into the one on the right.
As the leader turns, her face becomes visible. It... looks vaguely recognizable. But the details are wrong, somehow -- out of place. A disdainful sneer seems inappropriate on her lips. A look of critical judgment looks unnecessarily harsh from a pair of crystal blue eyes, barely visible as she looks over the rim of her tinted lenses.
Her hand gestures to the empty spot on the elevator beside her.
Zach steps into the elevator with the leader and two more goons. He has a bit of a frown on his lips. "Who," is all he asks. "And how badass is he that we need fourteen people to deal with him?"
The leader closes her eyes, holding the 'door open' button for a few moments as she seems to be lost in thought. After a moment, she releases the button, and the elevator door closes shut.
The goon behind Zach speaks up, now that the elevator is in motion: "Really badass, sir."
The other goon coughs lightly to disguise the small chuckle he would have let out.
The leader remains silent, but holds up a well-manicured hand to Zach. It would seem like a long time to him, but it's only a matter of seconds before the radio blurts out, echoing in the enclosed chamber. The speaker's voice is in Japanese, but it has a few indications of a Korean accent. "Trouble on 31st. Eight men, handling it. Sending four up to the 32nd."
That's where -this- elevator is going. The men behind Zach shuffle their feet uncomfortably, fingering the safeties on their handguns.
Zach glances at the safety on his pistol, adjusts the grip on his sword. Discipline keeps him from tapping a foot in impatience. Elevators are terrible like that. "Move quickly," he advises the two goons behind him. "Elevator doors make excellent ambush points."
The goons nod and murmur quietly in assent. It's good advice. And when the door slides open, the two men rush out as quickly as can be.
Luckily, the four from the other elevator have already established a foothold, plainly visible crouched down behind planters and supporting columns.
On the other side: a half-dozen men wearing black caps and red bands around their arms. They do not wear sunglasses -- just high-collared jackets. And they have handguns drawn, aimed towards the figures emerging from the elevator. But they do not fire. A figure sits on the opposite end of the hallway, his chair turned away from the elevator so that the man seated there can stare out the window at the skyline.
The leader... smiles. And hooks her arm around Zach's. She gives a simple nudge, suggesting that he walk forward.
One of the red-armbanded men chirps out, "Toyoda-san... Toyoda-san, we're glad you're okay!" All handguns are lowered.
"It seems we have a simple misunderstanding here," states the leader, her voice an icy cold as she strides through the hallway, uninterrupted, on her path towards the leader.
"It seems we have a simple misunderstanding here," states the leader, her voice icy cold as she strides through the hallway, uninterrupted, on her path towards the seated figure.
Zach does not resist the arm; it feels familiar. Comfortable. The nudge isn't even needed really. Zach walks forward, eyes darting around with wariness. Zach's fingers open and close around the hilt of the sword. He's not even really sure what he's /doing/ here.
The leader at Zach's arm nods quietly as the pair advances towards the seated figure. She's the 'Toyoda-san' they're speaking of. Though, as the pair approaches, it becomes clear that in addition to the seated figure, there is a second figure kneeling in front of him, with a collar around her neck, and a chain held by the seated figure.
"Toyoda-san," states the seated figure, "Why don't you come back during business hours?"
Toyoda does not acquiesce. She simply stops, a good ten feet away. The room is wide, with four chairs positioned in a semicircle around the obsidian-marbled business desk of the seated figure. And the figure rises, jangling the chain of the slave by his foot. He is roughly 5'8", and a bit on the portly side, wearing a classy black suit. A neatly-trimmed goatee and narrow eyes give the impression of someone who is unaccustomed to not getting his way.
"... Ah. Just you? I would have figured you would bring your Interpol scum."
Gunshots are heard below.
Toyoda slips her arm out from Zach's. She taps her finger upon her nose. "Kurota, you're a walking pile of human shit -- a murderer. And a human trafficker. And yet, somehow, untouchable."
The four men with Toyoda open fire on the guards which had lowered their guns. They are in complete and utter harmony, as if following the same beat on the same sheet of music. Three seconds later, the bodies hit the floor, each with bullets through the brainpan. Perfect harmony.
"Until now," affirms Toyoda, as she lowers her hands to her side. She has powers, she has capabilities. But no one thought of Toyoda as anyone but a secretary, until now.
The man drops his chain, looking back and forth between Toyoda and Zach. He decides to take his chances with the stranger.... leaping out with a kick at Zach's face. "KIYAAAA!"
COMBATSYS: Kurota has started a fight here.
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Kurota 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Zach Glenn has joined the fight here.
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Zach Glenn 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kurota
COMBATSYS: Zach Glenn blocks Kurota's Strong Kick.
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Zach Glenn 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Kurota
Glenn tries to get a look at the woman on the end of the chain, a frown clear on his face. Holy crap, that messed up, he thinks. And then Kurota charges. Zach surges forward, parrying the kick with the arm holding the gun. He growls as he brings the sword up and around, driving the hilt of the weapon down on the man's collarbone with shattering force!
COMBATSYS: Kurota blocks Zach Glenn's Random Strike.
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Zach Glenn 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Kurota
Toyoda clears space so that Kurota and Zach can fight, giving orders to her men to clean up the bodies. As they go about their work, Toyoda takes a walk over towards the enslaved girl, kneeling down beside her. She's clothed, at least -- and the more Zach looks at her, the more... Ainu her features appear.
"It's okay now," consoles Toyoda, her lips curling into a reassuring smile even though her eyes don't lose that hard edge from before. She looks back towards Zach, continuing her calm reassurances. "We're taking care of it."
Kurota is a mob boss -- from his stature, it seems like it's been a while since he's needed to fight directly. But his men are dead, and it looks like he's next -- that puts a certain spring in one's step, to say the least. His kick is knocked aside, but he has good form for the recovery. Doubling up, he hunches over, raising his arm to ward off the sword. It glances across the side of his arm, the fabric of his bespoke garment shredding into ribbons. The Miraitou still hurt, but not as much as it -could-. But for some reason, it doesn't bleed...
"ARRGH!" he howls. His face... becomes clouded and indistinct as he takes a step back. His ears grow a bit longer. His face... a bit more lupine. "You... arrogant humans! Always thinking you're... -better- than us!!"
The were-mobster lunges forward with an attempt to knee Zach hard enough to knock him onto his duff. And if he manages that, he'd drop his boot towards the man with feral ferocity.
COMBATSYS: Zach Glenn endures Kurota's Curb Stomp!
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Zach Glenn 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Kurota
Zach rolls with the knee and the stomp, using the momentum to continue his roll. He hasn't noticed the shift in Kurota's features just yet. Glenn rolls away from Kurota, but as he does, he lashes out with one foot, followed by the other, with both kicks augmented by golden lightning that adds force to his kicks, hoping to catch Kurota under the chin as he regains his footing!
COMBATSYS: Kurota fails to interrupt Dragon's Tail from Zach Glenn with Kidney Punch.
- Power fail! -
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Zach Glenn 0/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Kurota
Kurota howls, the bared skin on his sleeve starting to grow much more noticeably blue-grey. His snout grows larger as he hops back from the stomp, maw glistening with spittle as he glares back at Zach. "You've been interfering with us! Calling the blame down on -us- when it's actually you bunch of -traitors!- doing the-"
Toyoda rubs her finger across the bridge of her nose as she looks up from the enslaved prisoner. "That howling's making my ears ring. Just cut his damn throat out."
Kurota doesn't get a chance to howl again, though -- for while he seems prepared to haul off and punch Zach, it just doesn't happen as he's caught first in the chest, then just under the chin.
The beast doubles over, his throat nearly crushed by the blow as he's thrown against the desk. He rebounds forward again, catching himself on the floor with one hand. He's dazed for the moment -- but that won't stop the well-dressed werebeast from slobbering all over the place as he looks up with pure malice towards Zach.
Zach's eyes narrow as he regards Kurota. The pistol is stowed as the Sword of Clan Glenn prepares to reach for the best tool for dealing with Darkstalkers. Then he remembers that he already /has/ a sword. And a damn good one, at that. Forged by Seishirou Ryouhara, in another time.
The Violet Miraitou shimmers with an aura of pure gold as Zach brings the weapon back by his right shoulder, focusing on one thing: To cut. Zach charges, whipping the tip of the blade at Kurota's throat, as instructed!
COMBATSYS: Zach Glenn successfully hits Kurota with Forceful Strike.
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Zach Glenn 1/-------/=======|=======\==-----\1 Kurota
Kurota was already pretty wounded by the first slash, and the golden lightning, but he's able to rise to his feet just in time. The veteran mobster is well past his prime, but even -with- his ample battle skill, he's no match against someone with a blade. He rises to his feet -- just in time to get his throat slashed out by the blade. Blood flies across the room, spattering across the marble floor, the mobster, and Zach. And as he staggers backwards, hands clutching at his throat, he glares up at Zach with an unrivaled intensity. It's the look of a man near death -- a man who would easily recognize that look in any other of his victims.
He draws a gun from his breast pocket, just as he finds himself stumbling back to the desk. Leaning upon it, as his breath comes out in sputtering wheezes, he fires at Zach.
Toyoda, for her part, hustles the slave woman off to the side. She gives her instructions to flee with one of her men -- a simple request she's more than happy to acquiesce with.
COMBATSYS: Zach Glenn dodges Kurota's Huge Thrown Object.
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Zach Glenn 1/-------/=======|=======\===----\1 Kurota
Zach sidesteps the gun just as the trigger is pulled, the bullet slamming into a walk instead of Zach. Which Zach totally approves of. Glenn steps in close, his face a mask devoid of remorse or pity. He grabs Kurota by the remains of his suit. "Just die already," he intones.
COMBATSYS: Zach Glenn successfully hits Kurota with Meteor Shoot.
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Zach Glenn 0/-------/-------|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2 Kurota
Zach hauls the Darkstalker to the window, before throwing the monster clear through it. The psion then aims carefully with his empty hand, and looses a bolt of psionic force that detonates when it impacts Kurota, possibly scattering the scumbag to the winds!
Kurota's eyes widen as his shot misses its mark. It should really come as no surprise -- he's completely outmatched by one of the avengers of Metro City. But what he -is- surprised of is the man who literally hauls him up by the lapels of his shredded suit. And his eyes widen even further as he's picked up.
He tries to plead for his life, but it's hard to speak without a functioning throat. Blood gurgles from the gaping wound as he feebly bats at Zach's arms.
It's of no avail, of course.
As Kurota gets further and further from Zach, his features become more and more indistinct. He isn't scattered -- he stays intact. He's blue-grey, all the way -- though that's because of the pale moonlight more than any furred feature.
It certainly can't be because the man was never a darkstalker to begin with.
The other four men have been brutally efficient in the elapsed time. The corpses: gone. The blood: gone. Even the blood that had just been spilled: gone.
The only remnant of the carnage that remains aside from the broken window and the mess on Zach's clothing is the figure of Toyoda, walking up behind him. A faint smile is on her face, a nod of approval.
---
And then blackness.
---
The hotel room is dark, lit only by the small tablet propped up on the arm of a recliner. Honoka's drowsy face is lit by the screen, currently showing the webpage for the Rumble In The Streets tournament. On occasion, she looks over at Zach on the bed with a warm but weary smile.
Zach is quiet. He moans a little, before snuggling up against Honoka. A very faint snore tells the woman that he's sleeping deeply.
Honoka smiles back to Zach, ruffling her fingertips through the man's hair as she scrolls through the website. She tries not to let her mind wander too much, as she browses through the tournament results. A daydream would... make things difficult, all things considered.
She sees a news alert pop up on the bottom of her screen: 'KUROTA DEAD'. Chuckling softly to herself, she dismisses the alert and turns the tablet off, slinking down in the sheets so that she can curl her arm around her boyfriend.
Log created on 15:47:27 02/14/2016 by Honoka, and last modified on 21:41:29 02/14/2016.