Match of the Millennium

Description: With the Casino chaos, the shift of attention hard on Syndicate operations has caused a shock through Duke's organization. With evidence tying to Duke-baked Syndicate operations securing both Darkstalkers from Kira and real estate for Lord Dohma, the assault on Syndicate warehouses demands that the evidence be cleared. Serving his boss loyally, Hyena scrambles to clear out the financial statements of his boss. Unfortunately, Paranormal Investigator Brandon has done some very normal investigations, and has caught the Pompadoured Panderer. Backed into a corner, Hyena fights for his life, with the prize being the secrets and truths of Duke's schemes and plans.

[HYENA]
See, everything was supposed to be part of a plan that was foolproof.

A plan that is foolproof meant it was proofed against fools. In this case, it was Duke's whole thing involving Darkstalkers. You get magical artifacts smuggled in under the nose of the NOL, with the NOL not even reacting about it? That's legitimate. Darkstalkers themselves? Those have slowed down a lot. There are a few still in reserve, with Kira melting down at the forefront. But not artifacts, those could sit on a shelf. What more, you needed those to come in and out. Suits of cursed armor. Magical seals. Some funny treasures that look a lot like the Japanese royal family's treasure, but are super cursed and do not touch. Some could be held in private security deposits. But others? They needed to sit in a warehouse to be smuggled to interested third party dealers. And nobody would need to look at it down by the harbor, because it's a Syndicate holding, and not even a valuable one. So you have weird art items that are poorly documented, that aren't making any trouble, with a fat not-so-secret label of 'Syndicate Don't Touch.' And nobody would bother them, because Duke controlled the city! It was a plan for fools. So for there to be a breaking and entry and RAIDING while the boss was away on a raid of his own?

Yeah, that's where fools needed to get on a move.

"AAGH! AAAAAAAGH!" Was the shrill cry of the pompadour'd, buck-toothed man in the bright green suit he looked out the window. He had glanced up from his tasteful Daniel Jack Investigated doujinshis to look out to the funny noise outside the warehouse window. The funny noise was the forces of Illyria descending on the warehouses, starting a raid augmented with full on magical firepower. The sound he made was in fact right before a blast of raw magical fire explodes through the window. Breaking into a tumble, the clumsy minion is sent hurtling out the open door into the parapets looking over the warehouse, shards of glass dancing over his head. Standing up, his grips still on the page of the comic, he looks as the invasion was happening.The minion makes a quick inventory of the guards and security forces and who he should call. There were no more guards left. The security forces were supposed to be already warning about these guys, so there was no security forces left. The best and brightest were on with Duke's raid. The power had just gone out. Hyena pulls out his phone, only to see the questionable images of the hottest female fighters in the scene right now suddenly blink out. The last of its battery used up in idle pleasures. Hyena finishes his inventory.

"I am in incredible amounts of shit!" He declares, as he turns around to re-enter the exploded room.

Keeping low, the roar of sounds continue. He needed to escape, of course. EXCEPT! He had to get to the safe. It looked like it was left to him to execute the -one- thing that Duke ordered him to do, in the ultimate worst case scenario. The financial statements. Burn them. They were important for cross-organizational communication, especially on the matter of debts. But if it looked like a total loss? Like now? Burn them. Hyena crawls on all fours, as he works to the flipped over desk. Underneath, there was a safe. He just needed to open it, and destroy the contents within. "Yes, yes!" He says out loud. "I just needed to get to the safe, and then I can destroy those incriminating documents. Wait, don't say it out loud Hyena. Duke told you to stop doing that, because you don't know who could be overhearing. Especially saying that you work for Duke!"

Hyena pinches his lips tight, as he doubles his advance to the safe.

[BRANDON]
Definitely do not say it out loud. Especially when you never know when someone who uses light based magic and illusions can be overhearing you.

Brandon had been focused on making connections between Jedah, Duke, and Kira and deciding to go after their paperwork and possibly give the criminal element a very public black eye. He followed the trail from warehouse to warehouse until it ultimately led to here where he finds Hyena, on the floor kneeling down in preparation to go into the safe.

Brandon was quiet using one cantrip to mask the sounds of his footsteps and using an illusion ritual to render himself mostly invisible. The arcane proficient or chi sensitive might detect the energy put into the cantrip to silence his footsteps or the energy used to cloak himself. An observant person in the mundane world might see a trail of shoe imprints in the carpet or the fact that the only thing not covered his invisibility ritual is a cellphone camera lens.

Brandon quietly records Hyena talking to himself. When Hyena mentions burning the paperwork and then mentioning that he works for Duke, that was damning evidence all on its own. He also needed to send it off to a safe place where he could obtain it later but another one of the drawbacks to using his illusion ritual was that it made it too hard to see what he was doing when working with his phone. He had to shut the illusion down and reveal his position. The illusion fades revealing the private investigator.

Maybe Brandon might be able to save and then fire off an email to himself if Hyena doesn't turn around and see him messing with his phone.

[HYENA]
Hyena had absolutely, positively reminded himself not to speak out loud, for in fact in the remote case that someone who uses light based magic and illusions overhear you.

Of course, he fails to notice footprints. He was not an observant person. The shards of glass would have made a sound even, but the wily Hyena was dead set on his success. "Oh, if I manage to get rid of these hm hmms, Duke will be so pleased! He has been so furious since that incident with the dogs... well... maybe those awful brutes deserved to be stolen! Snee hee hee!" He cackles to himself out loud, before covering his mouth, snickering quietly as finally, he reaches the safe on his belly. Peering at the tumbler, he whispers to himself as he turns the dial. "Lets see. Twelve. Nineteen. And One! The code as Duke's personal briefcase! I need to figure out what date that number is supposed to reflect!" He swings it open, pulling out the papers, tucking them in with his doujinshi of Daniel Jack Investigated. Standing up, he clutches the papers in the zine, shaking it as he turns. "Now! To find a way to absolutely destroy these documents connecting Duke to this pla-"

Hyena notices Brandon.

"GRAAAAAAAGH!"

Hyena shrieks first at the fact that there was, in fact, someone here. He stares in abject horror at the man. Then the phone. Then the safe. And then the man. Normally, he would be begging for his life now, readying his escape the moment he could take it. But then comes a second shriek, as Hyena connects the fact that yes, everything was recorded. He realizes it on the phone. The Hyena reacts quickly, dropping the doujin and papers as he -flings- himself full-body at Brandon. Gangly fist flailing as the sound of the raid boils all around him. The goal wasn't to escape, no.

It was to slap the phone out of Brandon's hand as a full body tackle might do.

COMBATSYS: Hyena has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Hyena            0/-------/-======|=------\-------\0             Riki

COMBATSYS: Brandon has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Brandon          0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0             Riki
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Hyena            0/-------/-======|

COMBATSYS: Brandon blocks Hyena's Awkward Tackle.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Brandon          0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0             Riki
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Hyena            0/-------/=======|

[BRANDON]
Brandon had stopped recording before the safe combination and focused on moving from his camera to a file transfer app. He wasn't even going to bother renaming the video file because he wasn't even sure he'd have time for that and it was a relatively short video so he didn't have to wait long for it to upload there. Now for the tricky part sending the email. Email app is opened, he goes through who to send it to which would be his work email and then he includes a link downloading from the cloud as well as an attachment in the email itself.

It's at this point Hyena notices him. His eyes widen and he shifts his stance. That flailing fist goes right for his phone only to find air right before Hyena goes to tackle him. As awkward as the tackle may be, Brandon's defense, due to him trying to protect his cellphone, is just as awkward. He shoots his legs backward as he performs a slightly lopsided sprawl with the hand holding the cellphone flailing up in the air to keep it away from Hyena's hands. His knee hits the ground and while not pleasant, it's not as bad as it could have been.

There's a moment where the investigator is quiet as he manipulates his phone and then he finally speaks.

"Aaaaannd sent!"

From:	7185559090@mms.metro.net
To:	"Brandon Malone"<KnightofSwordsnWands@gmail.com>
Subject:	[No Subject]
someone about to destroy evidence. https://nimbuscloud.com/FsRTxlt.mp4
Attachments:	20200829_131729_HDR.mp4

meters

Brandon then pushes down on Hyena's shoulders as he breaks free of the tackle and when he's back up to his feet, he utilizes a move inspired by his former mentor. A tarot card appears in the hand of the one not holding the cellphone and he slashes downward leaving a crescent slash of arcane energy in its wake before the tarot card disappears once more.

COMBATSYS: Hyena dodges Brandon's II - The High Priestess.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Hyena            0/-------/=======|=------\-------\0          Brandon

[HYENA]
"IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!"

Hyena cries out, as he figures out that in times of this great distress, this man was only one thing. SOMEONE HIRED BY DUKE TO SPY ON HIM! "NO DON'T TELL DUKE MY BOSS THAT I WAS SLACKING OFF WATCHING HIS ARTIFACTS!" He squeals, as he kind of rub thumps against Brandon. BUT HE DOESN'T STOP THE EMAILING. When Brandon declares victory, the surge of light comes up. And all Hyena can do is grab his ears. and cry out in despair.

"NOOOOOOO!"

In fact, Hyena falls to his knees -so- dramatically, falling face down, that he -just- barely evades the attack. That's right, he -evades- the attack. EVADES IT. In fact, as it clears, the Hyena sniffs, and rolls over. Flailing his arms and legs like a turtle, he slips away, falling face first into this doujin. He stares, the official comic mysteriously sticking to his massive nose as he stands up. Narrowing his eyes, he gasps "But wait!" He cries out, grabbing the doujin. "You're not a Syndicate Internals Agent!" Hyena declares defiantly. "You're former assistant and partner to Daniel Jack, Brandon Malone!" With a flick of the wrist, he twists back, and then, throws the doujin straight at Brandon. The minion sneers as he deceptively conceals a razor-sharp card in there, making it significantly more lethal than before. ALong with.... along with.... He is no longer sneering. THE EVIDENCE.

"ACK NO WAIT GIVE THAT BACK!"

COMBATSYS: Hyena successfully hits Brandon with Hyena's Deal.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Hyena            1/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0          Brandon

[BRANDON]
Considering that he had seen the evidence in there, Brandon attempts to catch the doujin in his hand. He unfortunately was neither prepared for how fast it was traveling nor the fact that he managed to conceal a razor sharp card in there as well. He barely manages to clasp his hands on the comic however the card continues to travel and slice the detective in the chest causing his tie, right below the windsor knot, to drop to the ground.

"Ugh. That's going to be annoying to fix."

With doushin and evidence in hand, Brandon tosses it behind him. If it's in there, Hyena will have to go through him get to it. If Hyena managed to hide it well he has to take him down anyway so he can search the room.

The private investigator goes into a Philly Shell boxing stance with his hand near the pouch on his belt, carefully moving in before he launches himself towards Hyena and throws a powerful palm strike bolstered by one of his tarot cards.

COMBATSYS: Brandon successfully hits Hyena with VIII - Strength.
Grazing Hit

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////       ]
Hyena            1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0          Brandon

[HYENA]
Well yes, he landed the attack.

But Hyena wanted it -back-. When Brandon starts getting all cut, even messing up his tie, Hyena should be gleeful on it. But he scampers as the roar continues below, trying to close the gap as he scrambles at the investigator. "I'll fix it for you! Just give me it back! And also undo that email! This is really important stuff buddy!" He growls out, as he flails gripping hands at Brandon. When the stance comes up, however? He recoils in terror, wincing in the 'Lehigh Shell' counterpart, his arms and one leg wrapped around himself like a particularly twisted willow tree. Whining loudly, he spins as Brandon launches. He manages to avoid the tarot card portion of the blow. That is a poor defense, however, as the fingertip merely graze him... sending him spinning like a top as he whirls. Swirling across the room, he finally crumples into a stop when he slams into the remains of the desk, falling over it and smacking into the safe.

He moans, as he rises up.

"Come on, man, we can make a deal!" Hyena whines as he staggers back up. Stampeding back at the PI, he attempts to tussle into him, trying to headbutt him. But it was a feint, as the headbutt actually is the legendary technique of a buttling, a headbutt grapple only seen in the likes of master fighters like Hyena and, uh, Mignon. Should he successfully press against Brandon, he would continue the press to push him towards the wall, to trap him. "I just need all the evidence of your evidence of me failing to secure the evidence back, as well as the other evidence back." Hands grope at the belt pouch of Brandon. "I mean,"

"It's not like your job involves evidence, right?"

COMBATSYS: Brandon fails to counter Buttling from Hyena with IX - Hermit.

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Hyena            1/---====/=======|======-\-------\0          Brandon

[BRANDON]
As Hyena charges in, Brandon takes a moment to lightly brush the pouch with finger tips before taking a step backwards as an illusion of Brandon appears. The problem was he didn't expect Hyena to go /through/ his illusion to plow into him directly or to reach for the pouch on his belt. He gets slammed into the wall and lets out a grunt.

"I can't unsend it. Hey! Get off of that!"


[HYENA]
"NYEH HEH HEH!"

The laughter boils out as the long delicate finger seize Brandon by his pouch, and the Hyena pulls away, clutching his prize. "It seems I have totally succeeded this fight! You boob! You buffoon! You fell fool of fail! Where I! Hyena! Have not only crossed into being a genius, but ultimately transcended into a super genius! You don't think I know that your pouch is the source of your power!? Without it, you are as helpless as a mere babe in a diaper for babies!" Hyena lets out a great cackling giggle, as he plans his escape with everything. He can destroy them later, he needed to get away from the violence as soon as possible. "Now I gleefully accept your surrender, since I what I want! Don't you know that in that issue, he has to investigate a poor innocent sorority filled with fox girls who keep having their tails pulled by a mysterious clawed midget?!" Hyena declares, as he waves the pouch. He opens it... and scowls. He draws his hand in swiftly, and pulls out a funny card with a tower on it.

"Also, I need those papers back, so I can destroy them!"

Hyena sneers arrogantly at Brandon, as he puts his hands on his hips. Swaggering mightily, he crows brutally as he struts back at Brandon, holding up a tarot card with the XVI on it. He shakes it at Brandon. "You think I don't know that you can't go and unsend emails? We have a ninja who tells me she does that all the time, when she accidentally sends out incriminating information about me to my boss! You better give me that phone! And fix it! So I think you just need a little more... mmmm.... PERSUASION!"

And Hyena gives a swift kick straight for Brandon's leg!

COMBATSYS: Brandon blocks Hyena's Shin Kick.

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Hyena            1/-======/=======|======-\-------\0          Brandon

[BRANDON]
As an answer to the shin kick, Brandon raised his leg check the shin kick. It was at this moment that Brandon knew, they /both/ fucked up.

Brandon's screw up came in the form of letting Hyena grab a hold of the pouch containing his tarot cards. Hyena's was not realizing that in his ill-fated first foray into the King of Fighters tournament, Brandon dropped his pouch before unleashing a nigh catastrophic amount of power on Miguel. Nor that he wasn't using his pouch when he was fighting Lee Chaolan.

"You still have to get past me to do it."

Now being separated from his deck, Brandon removes the chains binding the direct access to his arcane power. His stance changes. Instead of the Philly Shell, his guard goes up into a peek-a-boo guard. He takes a deep breath and then his entire body flares up in radiant golden light. He can even feel his power start to tear at his body as he grits his teeth in pain.

"You've made a grave error in assuming I'm defenseless without the deck."

COMBATSYS: Brandon taps into his power directly, surrounding his body with a bright aura.

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Hyena            1/-======/=======|=======\===----\1          Brandon

[HYENA]
"Nyeh heh- huh?"

Hyena was noticing that far from winning, the man who was trying to stop him was about to go supernova. Hyena looks to the pouch, and then to Brandon, and then his own foot. Stumbling back, he lets out a squeak. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Here! You can have it back!" Was it an act of cowardice? Hyena flings the pouch at Brandon's feet. He flails around as he bows before Brandon-

IT WAS A TRICK!

Yes, it was a diabolical trick as Hyena proves that no, he doesn't fully understand the consequences of his actions. Tumbling forward, he swings his legs up as attempts to slap Brandon with both legs in a feint. Whether he makes contact or not, he would rise back up to deliver a stunning uppercut straight at the man's chin. Being really close. To the light. "I'm a magician by trade you know!"

"And I know a parlor trick when I see it!"

COMBATSYS: Brandon fails to interrupt This Century's Wildest Sucker Punch! from Hyena with Crown of Stars.

[    \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////                     ]
Hyena            0/-------/-======|=======\=====--\1          Brandon

[BRANDON]
The pouch, to Brandon's peril, is ignored. He doesn't have the time to re-clasp his pouch to his belt. He is focused on getting his hands around Hyena's neck, strangling him, and giving him the nastiest arcane energy bolstered headbutt he would ever feel. However, the pouch was ignored. He trips over the pouch and his hands go right past Hyena's shoulders as the uppercut connects with his chin.

Brandon continues to stumble past Hyena before his head connects with the flipped over desk. There's moment where there's a flash before the desk explodes into splinters from the power that never had a chance to connect with Hyena.

Brandon slowly rises to his feet in complete disbelief.

[HYENA]
"NYEH HEH HEH!"

The sneering, taunting laugh boils out from the wretched Hyena, as the sniveling, smug minion flails away after his sneak attack. He quickly falls quiet when the desk -explodes-, the Hyena wincing in raw terror at the fact that was almost -him-. But bravado remains, as he puffs up his chest, and peeks aside to his opponent. Hands on his hips, he struts away, almost dancing at his own self-assured delusions of grandoire. As he looks at the expression on Brandon's face, he gives him a hideous wink. "You better believe it, baby!" Hyena gives a spin, and then, a pose.

Snapping a finger towards Brandon.

"This is why Duke leaves the most important work for me!" He continues as he strides back towards Brandon, almost skipping as he rushes back. Was it an attack? Was it another feint? Hyena's frustrating style was confounding and demanding, but all it would take is to peel it apart to smash the smug Syndicate sycophant. He attempts to slip right past Brandon, knocking him aside to descend on the evidence in a blaze of Hyena speed.

"Step aside, -worm-, as I get my prize and have my way with your phone!"

COMBATSYS: Hyena successfully hits Brandon with Hyena Dash.

[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////                        ]
Hyena            0/-------/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2          Brandon

[BRANDON]
With the explosion of the desk, he was able to at least temporarily impress upon Hyena how much of a danger that he was in. Too bad he was still a bit too woozy from the uppercut to mount an adequate defense against charge. Instead of standing his ground, he gets practically plowed off of his feet once again.

This time, Brandon's quickly back to his feet, powered by arcane energy and barely controlled rage, gathers a ball of golden energy into his fist and runs for Hyena and attempts to punch him off of the evidence stash.

COMBATSYS: Brandon knocks away Hyena with Fist of Golden Light.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///                           ]
Hyena            0/-------/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2          Brandon

[HYENA]
"NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!"

The laughter gets even more nasty and taunting, as Hyena knocks aside Brandon. Almost like a prince picking his horse, he strides over the doujin and the files within. "I! Hyena! Have finally WON! What a glorious day! Duke will give me a promotion! NYEH HEH- HUH?"

And Hyena gets punched.

The description of the force of impact is relatively short. One moment, there is a sneering Hyena, who briefly drops his facade of bravado for a look of dim fear. And the next, there is an object body flung through the air, and neatly penetrated through the warehouse wall. Metal curls around the simple drywall, as for that moment, Hyena experiences the level of mental pain he has inflicted on Brandon in the form of physical pain, tenfold. Should he realize this ratio, he may go and show more sympathy for Brandon. At the moment, however, his brain was busy trying to catch up to those pending messages from the nerves.

The message is pain.

Hyena lets out an enfeebled cry as he wrenches himself back from his wall crater. His shirt was tatters, his body was bloodied. But he seemed that his arrogance had not yet been deconstructed. "That was- that was a goof!" Hyena states aloud, trying to convince himself. He stumbles forward, legs twisting around themselves as his nervous system gradually reboots itself. "A lucky shot!" In comparison to his own. Hyena brings up his fists. "I will do-" He gasps, and points out behind Brandon.

"What's that over there!"

Hyena throws something on the ground, and there is a flash of glitter and smoke. For a moment, Hyena is out of sight, when suddenly...

COMBATSYS: Hyena successfully hits Brandon with Hyena Gyro.

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >                                ]
Hyena            1/-------/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2          Brandon

And suddenly, from above, is the spinning legs of Hyena in a deft ambush.

"NYEH HEH HEH!" He calls out as he spins, whirling as he descends hard on Brandon from above to knock him to the ground.

[BRANDON]
Brandon does /not/ look over there. This by itself was not an issue. The problem was that he was eating a face full of smoke and glitter(the herpes of the arts and crafts world) by not turning around. The other problem was he was expecting an attack to his rear or flanks instead from above. The end result is that the detective runs face first into Hyena's aerial assault and takes another fall to the ground.

Brandon rises on shaky legs, with heavy breaths as he draws upon the last of his arcane might. He wants the evidence preserved and knows that Hyena desparately wants to destroy the evidence.

He forms a circle of swords high above him in the air and carefully angles them and forms them in a tighter formation than he usually would. Brandon then points towards Hyena. If Brandon's attack is not halted in some way, be it by hitting Hyena or having it intercepted, Those swords of energy will rip through the floor in a circle around it and making it fall to the floor below their battle where someone else may be able to get the evidence. Hyena, might have a difficult decision ahead of him.

COMBATSYS: Brandon can no longer fight.

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Hyena            1/-------/=======|

And then he falls over.

COMBATSYS: Brandon knocks away Hyena with #Astral Blades of Death#.

[                                <
Hyena            1/-------/=======|

[HYENA]
If one person had experience with herpes, it was definitely Hyena.

As he descends his sneak attack on Brandon, he scoffs. "I win! You lose! And now, my prize!" That is what he would say. However, as he lands, Brandon does not go gently. Hyena looks around, and notices swords. A lot of swords. A circle of them. And they are aimed at the floor, huh. So instead of Hyena's delicately excellent quip? It comes out like this.

"I WAN LOSE AAAAAAAAGH!"

He makes a jump to avoid falling. He fails. And falls. Brandon and Hyena descend into a collapse to the floor below. Hyena lands on his head, and is only given the chance of a lusty moan before darkness consumes him. All around him, shadowy shapes surround Brandon and Hyena. It must be the Syndicate, was Hyena's final thought. But it wasn't. Illyrian agents encircle Brandon and Hyena, muttering and gasping. "Get a medic!" Calls out a man, as the figure comes over to the abandoned documents. They hold it up.

"Oh my, it's sinful!" He calls out, as he opens the magazine.

[BRANDON]
Having worked with the Illyrians in an official capacity, he was familiar with their uniforms and as a result, even though he himself wasn't successful in obtaining the documents being instrumental in making sure they got what they needed to get was a huge relief.

Now the final issue he needed to address was the fact that the pouch was not in his posession. He intended to fix that since he could not afford to be unable to access his power in a less self-destructive manner. It was a slow crawl but he manages to grab a hold of his pouch and reattach it to his belt before finding himself staring at the massive hole in the ceiling that he created.

Log created on 13:24:07 09/08/2020 by Hyena, and last modified on 12:25:30 09/11/2020.