Match of the Millennium

Description: On the eve of perhaps the most important happenings in Japan's modern history, Kolin interrupts Urien's downtime to deliver some news on behalf of a certain man...

[URIEN]
Japan is in chaos. The United Nations' militaristic ideals, backed by the majority of participating nations, has made them the scorn of many in the international community. For all their effectiveness, Gears are considered little more than tactical nuclear weapons, and the open exhibition of such has been cast down by any and all. Absolute reformation of UN security procedures and oversight to authorize the usage of creatures such as Justice are already beginning, even though it will do nothing to abate the war taking place now. And the outcome? Urien does not care at all. Dressed in a striped tailored grey suit he is seated within his grandiose suite apartment, settled on a great chair. Two suspiciously attractive women in bathing suits are in either arm, settled on his laps as the trio laugh together, tables drawn close nearby already littered with bottles.

The brains were happy. He cares not for this, but for the result; during the turmoil of the UN's restructuring, with the Illuminati's plants in many central governments and leaderships, it will be easy to take control. Gaining the dragon's head of all world affairs, as opposed to many separate individual countries, has been a dream of the Illuminati since World War 2.

He had made a call for Kolin, although it wasn't clear what if anything he desired. Given she likely wished to meet him, but on top of that Gill said to tell Urien he was very happy, too. Either Gill does not realize what his brother might think of that, or Kolin is in trouble for some unknown slight.

She has full access to his dirty penthouse. It's not that there's no cleaning people, they merely come once a day, and by now it's ruined once more through his lazy indulgences. He's not in any place where he might be useful, such as going through ciphered reports in the office or utilizing the encrypted satellite link to directly communicate, so it likely comes as no surprise that the sound of his flirtations ring brazen through the double doors leading into the main study.

[KOLIN]
Kolin is nothing if not prepared. It is her watchword; she was unprepared when the war broke out that destroyed her country, and she swore never again. So when Urien calls for her... she of course replies immediately. After all, she is in service to him... for now at least. Still, she makes sure she's prepared before she goes to the penthouse, wearing her full kit, the heavy, fur-lined jacket, the pillbox hat, the whole deal. Got to look the right part, after all, and it's not like she's masquerading as a proper secretary for the UN or anything like that.

The doors to the penthouse open, allowing her in; as they close behind her, it's obvious what's going on. But it doesn't bother her. She isn't referred to as an ice queen just because of the cryokinetic powers she utilizes, but for the utterly calm and impenetrable demeanor that is her most-seen face. So the fact of Urien's cavorting doesn't outwardly bother her at all.

Her rich, Russian-accented voice comes from behind that great chair, as she approaches; her glances at the two bathing-suited women are perfunctory, as if she is registering them, taking them in as... things that are there, and then dismissing them from her conscious assessment of the situation. "Lord Urien," she says, simply, standing with her feet shoulder-width apart, arms clasped behind her, not quite at a full military stance but reasonably close.

"There is something I wished to discuss with you." A glance at the two women.

"... perhaps it would be best done in private, however."

[URIEN]
An attempt to kiss the nearest girl is interrupted by Kolin's interest. Urien blinks, his eyes cloudy with the haze of drunkeness. "What?" he snaps out, looking highly annoyed. Both girls seem awkward, no longer the giggling teases they had been prior. Did he forget he asked her over here? Most likely the females came to visit shortly after, and his priorities have always been personal satisfaction before matters of business. "Can't you see I"m busy... ah!" The girls carefully detach, giving apologetic glances before they swish off through the open doors with that special motion purposefully meant to instill regret to see them leave. Urien grasps the side of his face, peering at them until they are gone with a low hiss deep in his throat. "Goddamnit. You knew they were in here. Far be it for you to wait until I'm done, huh?!" He snatches a half-empty bottle of wine and brings it to his lips, chugging heavily. It's hurled on the ground, blossoming into one of many stains on the hardwood floor. Slouching in his chair, one suited leg shifting up to rest across a leather arm, he then glares daggers at Kolin. "I was told you had a message for me. I wanted to hear it. Must be mighty important, eh...?! If you're willing to ruin my fun!!"

[KOLIN]
Kolin looks... unimpressed. Highly unimpressed. But she is here for a reason... and a greater duty abides. "Mmm. This needn't take long," she replies, still sounding calm.

"Merely a report... and a suggestion. To wit: Lord Gill has asked me to convey his pleasure with the current direction of world events." A pointed look around at the debauchery.

"Though I wonder if he would be so pleased to see this." Perhaps he wouldn't even care... Gill is an odd man that way. Still.

"During an attempted incursion into our offices in Moscow, I came upon a man. A mercenary. He was there to steal some UN information..." Unlocking her arms from around her back, she instead folds them across her stomach, bending forward slightly to get a better look with her ice-blue eyes.

"The information he stole was little more than surface-level materials. More importantly," she adds, "I believe he can be used. A man who fights for money without qualms." Reaching into her jacket, she pulls out a smallish, glossy picture of the man, offering it to the suited Urien.

"His name is Oswald. He is very good at hiding his tracks, as a skilled operative would be. But he assures me, personally, that his only credo is, once hired, he will always complete his job. A steadfast value that we can use..."

[URIEN]
Urien goes stiff abruptly, grasping his head more fiercely. His eye seems to dilate as if a cat's, expression distant. Tension ripples beneath the muscled form lurking behind that tailored suit. Kolin might wonder if her further analysis of Oswald is even reaching his ears; he seems to be incredibly distracted for some time. When Kolin finishes, there's no immediate response. This is unusual. Urien is always loud and brazen, especially when he's drinking alcohol and has certain unquenched fires still slight. "What did you say...?" he finally asks, attention snapping back to Kolin with an almost ominous weight.

[KOLIN]
Kolin can feel it. Urien is going to be spoiling for a fight. He was already angry, and walking in on his 'therapy' was probably not really very helpful. (Not that she cares, really.) Still... "As I said, Lord Urien," she repeats, deliberately, already stepping back somewhat from the unstable man.

"Lord Gill asked me to convey his pleasure with the current state of the world." Now, she -knows- mentioning Gill around Urien is a mistake... and Gill probably knows it too. But either this'll toughen her up or she'll get crushed. Either way. As for the second part...

"Things seem to be... coming to a head. I believe this man Oswald is a good fit to..." She waves the fingers of one hand in a gesture. "To contract with." Simple enough right? But she is sure the words aren't getting through, probably because of some massive headache pounding away at Urien's skull.

A delicate half-smile. "Perhaps I should come back later... after you've cleaned up some?"

[URIEN]
"Why..." Urien states, gripping the side of his head. His grin turns feral, before teeth seem to bare, clenching tightly before he shoves to his feet. He twists to grasp the massive leather chair beside him and twists, hurling it towards the wall opposite. This is in the general direction of Kolin, and it's liable to drift within a meter of her before impacting the paneled wall, causing a massive dent and terrible crash. Wood and steel reinforcement within the chair rupture and shatter, leather splitting to send stuffing in all directions.

"DO YOU THINK I NEED MY BROTHER'S CONDESCENDING CONGRATULATIONS?!" His fists curl up into tight fists, before he slowly marches over towards Kolin. They have not had a long relationship, surface-level at best, yet he's never actually attacked her. Never actually struck her. Not once made a threat that had even an ounce of weight to actually go through with. This is different. There is a monster within him, the face of envy, insecurity, and misplaced hatred.

"I did this on my own!! The council did not even WANT me to come!! And all I get is these sleeping, unworthy rulers letting me know they are 'pleased'. So what?! Would they have been just as happy to strike me down if I failed?!" Unless Kolin backs up or otherwise decides to vacate the area, Urien would loom directly over her, dwarfing the secretary with the monstrous bulk of one sculpted since birth to be a potential ruler, a flawed Judas, the Treacherous Disciple...

[KOLIN]
Kolin is one hundred percent sure Gill sent her to tell Urien these things to piss him off. And to remind him that no matter what... Big Brother Gill is watching. Through Kolin, of course, but also just watching. That he has eyes everywhere... that the Illuminati is ultimately his. As expected, Urien rises--and he is an imposing physical presence. She knows what lies underneath that fine suit--corded, iron-hard muscles even before taking into account Urien's abilities. She's well-briefed. But one only shows weakness as a ploy--there's no need for that here.

She is unafraid as the man looms over her; her right foot slides backwards, just a touch, her body shifting slightly, her limbs unfolding from her stomach. "Lord Gill thought you would like to know that he appreciates your work," says the secretary, mildly. As for the second part...

A dry half-smile graces her lips. "Is that a question you really need have asked?" It's certainly a question to which Urien already knows the answer, as he must. A moment's pause; she can see those fists, knows the tension coursing through them, that almost itchy need to release that anger upon something--someone. It's only a matter of seconds before he blows his stack. Fortunately the Illuminati has safehouses galore--penthouses, bunkers, cabins, hidden facilities. The destruction of one will mean little in the long run.

"You seem... troubled. Perhaps it's best that those two women left, I'm not sure they would survive your need to..." A delicate pause for emphasis, "... let off some steam." It's too bad Juri isn't here. Kolin would definitely task her to -this- part.

[URIEN]
"I see." Urien suddenly states, leaning forward until his face is level with Kolin's. "You must think you are safe, to some extent. After all, you work for /Gill/, not me. Your loyalty, competency, and strength were so acknowledged, you even recieved the chi infusement procedure, the most sacred and guarded strength of the Research division. The one I head...!! The cost of empowering you... it could fund a small nation's military forces for years. Do you think..."

And then Urien shifts out, twisting his body. There's no restraint, here. as he lets out a roar. Striking at Kolin with full force. If she expected him to hold back, to let off some steam in a mere destructive rampage, then she has guessed wrong. There is murderous intent behind it, an impact that could shatter bone or break a neck, if not properly defended against. "That means I cannot destroy you?! I am an EMPEROR!! The President of the Illuminati!! Those impotent brains, and my soft brother... in light of my successes here, they will do nothing. NOTHING!! If it might make Gill's life even slightly harder, then I'll rip you in half myself!!"

Well, he's definitely gone off the deep end, here. It's always been a known threat, although likely Kolin hoped it would never rear it's ugly head. Like a storm, one must weather it; or drown, in a reign of blows and rage that cares not for consequences, merely the immediate, crippling need to satisfy establishing power. Even if it means a dozen people, Kolin included, end up painting the penthouse suite before he is done...!!

COMBATSYS: Urien has started a fight here.

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Urien            0/-------/------=|

COMBATSYS: Kolin has joined the fight here.

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Urien            0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0            Kolin

COMBATSYS: Kolin blocks Urien's Terrible Smash.

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Urien            0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0            Kolin

[KOLIN]
No, it's no secret that she ultimately works for Gill, not Urien. That she is, in essence, 'on loan' to him. But she doesn't take that as any sort of special armor against the likes of Urien. At the power level he represents--both politically and physically--probably the best she could hope for would be retaliation, rather than prevention.

But Urien is also right that she represents a significant asset to the organization. That might save her... in some fashion. But it won't save her any amount of pain, not now or in the future. She is used to that pain; deeply hidden, at her core, pain is all she really knows. The pain of loss. It's what powers her, keeps her moving forward. A familiar friend, around which she almost literally crystallized.

She expected no restraint. That would be amongst the silliest of things to expect out of Urien, particularly when he's in this state. This isn't a sparring match, this is not testing, there are no telemetrics being recorded for later study. This is Urien in full force, blowing off steam. Fortunately, Kolin's reactions are good--but she isn't going to stand tall against that power. Instead, she moves with it, bringing her arms up to absorb some of that blow and robbing the rest of it of power by aligning momentum with it.

It's still a thunderous blow, and it echoes in the penthouse, giving some warning to the other people--and as violence erupts, people who have a nose for such things--survivors--can sense it. Those other people? They are now officially warned.

Kolin lunges back in, perhaps to show Urien that she -isn't- afraid, those gloved hands seeking temporary purchase on his right shoulder and arm. A moment later, a smooth motion as she stops her momentum with her left leg and transfers it up into her right, bringing that knee up in a sharp knee thrust aimed at the Judas's stomach, to send that momentum up angularly, to allow her to flip him over her shoulder and into the floor--but it all depends on getting that first grab.

COMBATSYS: Urien fails to interrupt Sublimation from Kolin with Quarrel Punch.

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Urien            0/-------/-----==|=====--\-------\0            Kolin

[URIEN]
Oh, Kolin's indeed strong. That is the principal reason she is on loan. An average fighter would break in a few blows, and before Urien was satisfied, be long dead. There's a somewhat brazen manner to his strength here, throwing everything behind the sweeping strike, feeling the strength leech away and only finding it frustrating. That was not the feel of crumpling bone and torn muscle his fists were seeking in response. His other arm reels back as Kolin slithers forward as he's grappled. Her knee comes up as his fist descends, and it might have been an uncomfortably close call driving it into his core as it wafts by in a rush of angry air. A grunt of pain, before Kolin flips past, hefting up that surprisingly weighty form and then slamming him down on the ground opposite. "...!" One hand slams down, then the other, fingers gripping through the floorboards and punching in countless holes. Veins now bulge from his veins, and it's clear that he's only growing MORE irritated as opposed to shunting away these urges of aggression. "You dare... to attack ME?! You don't know your place!!"

[KOLIN]
"Lord Urien," replies Kolin, taking an almost dancing, twirling backstep, emphasizing the honorific in the title, stressing it with her voice just a touch, "You are the aggressor here. I am merely working to contain your... impulses." She suits actions to words--she doesn't follow up the attack, but she doesn't relax her guard either. Wary, knowing that the fight is rarely over so quickly, no matter who she's fighting.

"Of course we can replace all these things--the penthouse, your... playmates... but that is simply unnecessary waste if we must do so. A distraction. Do not let your inferiority complex distract you from the larger goal." Ah, what a bedside manner she has.

"Lord Gill truly is pleased with the progress made. But we have far yet to go," she informs this man, her superior in at least one sense, if not several. And yet she will gladly speak truth to power--here, at least. The outside world isn't ready for those truths yet.

COMBATSYS: Kolin calculates her next move.

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Urien            0/-------/-----==|=====--\-------\0            Kolin

[URIEN]
"...!!" Urien's rage seems to build more and more, as he slowly rises upwards. "How... dare you..." Energy begins to shimmer out, a great warble followed by an incredible weight. A few crackles of lightning ripple up his form, before the makeup covering the diamond on his forehead burns away. "Impulses?! Inferiority complex?! I am the future Emperor!! Gill does not have the heart to do what must be done, to take the reigns of this world and control it!!" Suddenly the wood beneath his feet cracks, and Urien sinks a few inches into it. Purple energy boils up and around him, a grandiose beacon of conflicting, interwoven primal chi. His suit begins to tatter and strain, as his flesh hardens and turns a rich bronze, hair flushing white as it courses over his face and along his hands. "I see your true face now. You think me a petulant child. My ambitions pointless. Then... if you are not with me... you're merely Gill's babysitter, aren't you?!"

COMBATSYS: Urien manifests bronze skin and white hair, unleashing his true power!!

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Urien            0/-------/-----==|=====--\-------\0            Kolin

[KOLIN]
It must be heretofore admitted: Kolin isn't really trying to -calm- her foe. She's not going to try and coddle him and tell him life- and goal-affirming things. If his insecurities color the way he sees his role in the world--and her role within the Illuminati--this way, well... so be it.

"You underestimate Lord Gill," says the Russian, simply. "But perhaps he underestimates you as well..." That is probably true, too. Still, she's never made any sort of dissemblence about where her loyalties truly lie. It was Gill that lifted her out of the snow, gave her purpose. Urien may _look_ like Gill, at least without the blue and red and the flowing, golden locks, but he didn't do for Kolin what Gill did. It's really that simple.

"Lord Gill asked me to help you in this matter, Lord Urien." Truly, the man across from her is a frightening sight. She's pragmatic enough to admit it. Her chances against Urien not in the full throes of his anger are one thing; when he's given full reign to his power, that is an entirely other thing.

"To that end, I will do whatever is necessary... even if it means telling you some hard truths. I am not here to babysit you... but you know where my loyalties lie. For now, our paths align. I am here to offer you more potential allies. If you can rein in your anger, we can do more to further your goals." And the Illuminati's goals.

COMBATSYS: Kolin takes no action.

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Urien            0/-------/-----==|=====--\-------\0            Kolin

[URIEN]
"...!!" The name Gill seems to be a hard trigger from Urien, as his body continues to swirl and crackle with energy. Although the followup seems to do much to soothe over his ego at the moment. "Hah... Hahahaha!!" Urien leans backwards, grasping his forehead and seeming to be incredibly amused for some reason. Then he twists, unleashing a sudden short hook of his arm. The floor before him cracks for a couple meters, shattering glass and sending furniture flying. Whirling back around, another punch slams into the floor, caving in much of the foundation, causing it to sink slightly into the level beneath. His mad cackling continues, firing off a dense ball of energy that shatters through a wall and vanishes into the setting evening sun, amidst a great cloud of debris. The lights crack and then go out, and before long Urien's panting where he stands, although the throes of his rampage didn't quite reach Kolin herself. "I see what you are... A dog!! Wagging your tail for Gill. That's right, isn't it?!" His bronze head shifts, neck loudly popping before he slowly walks towards the ice-empowered femme fatale. "Well. What would make Gill happy is making /me/ happy. There is no doubt you are a wonderful tool. Fine, then!! For now, I will take your loyalty as what it is!! As long as you obey me... and RESPECT me... and whisper none of your words to those despicable brains..." Urien adjusts his singed and smoking tie, before with a great crack his power disperses, hardened skin quickly receding and leaving his hair blonde and skin richly tanned once more. Smoke curls up all around him, even a specially manufactured suit from Lee Chaolin's private stocks struggling. "Allies. Yes. People who will listen to money. Oswald, you say? I've heard of him. An eccentric mercenary who plays with cards. You say he's more than a gimmick...? Very well. Make an appointment with him. And draft up a report about how the insurgents of Japan tried to bomb my suite. Mr. Abel survived, of course... hahahaha!!" He makes towards the door, just as the floor finally cracks and gives way, collapsing down an entire story to the one below. "You had best be a quick learner, Kolin. If you serve beneath me, the line between life and death can become very narrow indeed...!!"

COMBATSYS: Urien takes no action.

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Urien            0/-------/-----==|=====--\-------\0            Kolin

[KOLIN]
Kolin isn't bothered by the insults. After all, they are in some form true... and really, they're just words. Words are empty. As Urien sends that blast through a window, and shorts out the power systems in the penthouse, she relaxes, marginally. Never enough to be fully comfortable, not around a packed powder keg like Urien. "Whatever you may think of me," she says, after a moment, watching him approach, the evidence of his power literally steaming and smoking off of him in quite the display, "Never let it be said that I do not respect your power."

After a moment spent matching gazes with the man--unafraid, but not defiant--she steps away from where the floor is starting to collapse, as Urien turns towards the door. He might leave; she'll stay to call for cleanup and the like, to have the place restored. "Of course, Lord Urien. As soon as possible," she acknowledges. The line between life and death? She's already crossed that... she doesn't fear it. But it's useful if Urien thinks she does.

COMBATSYS: Kolin has left the fight here.

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Urien            0/-------/-----==|

COMBATSYS: Urien has ended the fight here.

Log created on 15:28:44 11/10/2017 by Kolin, and last modified on 11:50:12 11/12/2017.