Match of the Millennium

Description: Taking a lead from Malin, Daisuke investigates some shady business in Southtown Harbor. This of course leads to trouble, but the arrival of a local super...hero...only complicates matters further.

[BOB]
Southtown Harbor. A bustling port that sees millions of dollars of goods through it an almost any given working day. Consumer and industrial goods make their way into Southtown here to be sold in its bustling stores while manufactured products often leave the Howard Connection for sale abroad.

But not everything coming into and out of the harbor is entirely on the up-and-up.

A group of gangers sit around one of the less busy ports. One is smoking a cigarette, his leg swinging idly as he sits on top of a small cargo container. The other is playing on a smartphone, frantically texting someone.

"Yo, did you turn off your GPS?" he asks. "The boss is gonna be your ass if you forgot again."

[DAISUKE]
This is absolutely not how Daisuke thought he would be spending his evening. To be fair, possibly literally any other boy at his school would have said 'fuck no' if prompted to do something to this effect, but... when it comes to Daisuke Kubo, saying 'no' when someone asks you for a favor or other forms of help is just not a very familiar concept.

Nevermind that Southtown City proper is absolute hell for his psychic senses due to the sheer number of people roaming around. But he was asked to try to gather some intel, and some intel he will try to get then! ...Even if getting to the area where he is most likely to get some idea of whatever is left of Southside Syndicate's operations in Southtown required him to take the most roundabout way to get there in order to avoid overloading his brain.

He didn't even get his Blazing Panther clothes for this one. That would attract attention too easily here unless he kept hiding in places where he couldn't try to eavesdrop on things. So the boy has opted for hiding in plain sight... mostly. A light jacket not too dissimiliar to what some dock workers wear, and a capped hat tilted just low enough to make making out his face on a quick glance a measure or so more difficult.

It works well enough for wandering through the harbor area without being hassled, at least! Though after eyeing over some of the piers from afar, and seeing the suspiciously-quiter one that still had people on it? That one requires some stealthery at least. Slipping closer in plain sight might have been somewhat easy, but getting on the pier gets trickier. The redhead playing at a spy does manage to slip to moving through some containers, though! So far, so goo-

CLINGCLANGCLATTER

...At least until his foot got caught in a metal pipe someone had propped up against a container, and sent it noisily hitting the floor. Uh. Maybe the gangers didn't hear it...?

[BOB]
The Southtown Syndicate is certainly still a presence here, despite the best efforts of the Scarlet Dahlia and Volkov's Black Dragon. The masterminds behind it, like Geese, have built something that can endure a bit of a stormy sea. Even so, every organization has its weak links...

And these two seem pretty flimsy in terms of holding things together.

"Yeah dude. The boss is getting really tight on this stuff. I mean, if he found out he'd have your a--"

"Psh. I could take him. He's not that tou--"

The two of them turn at the sound of the pipe clanging. They look at each other, then the one on the container hops down, tugging her jacket and running a hand through his messy black hair. He looks to be Japanese, maybe in his twenties. The other looks a bit older and Caucasian. An American immigrant, maybe? His blond hair is in a short crew cut.

"Thought you said this dock was out of service." The younger man mumbles.

"Supposed to be. Who's over there? Get on out here where we can see you."

[DAISUKE]
Oh no oh no oh no oh no.

Daisuke gulps nervously behind the crate. His eyes sweep to the left, to the right. Options, options. Any options at all? There's nothing close enough he could slip to while the two gangers are looking upon his current hiding spot. Well. Only one way to go about it then.

"H-hey, guys...!" The redhead calls out as he steps out from around the crate, with as confident of a smile as he can muster up. "I got kinda lost on the way, the boss thought you might need an extra hand, yeah? I mean probably not from what I hear about you fellas but never hurts I guess...?"

He can only hope his bluff will work. Somehow?!

[BOB]
The two of them look at each other. There's a wordless exchange between before the younger man steps forward, his teeth showing in a sort of predatory way, the expression of a conman who just found his mark.

"Hey bud," he says, "I think you may have the wrong crew. We're just private contractors," he says. Is this a lie within a lie? "Guessing you must be one of the temps for the freight workers union or somethin? Hey, Frank," he calls back to the older American. "You mind calling the boss right quick? I'll help this guy find his shift."

[DAISUKE]
IT DIDN'T WORK!!

A nervous bead of sweat drips down along Daisuke's forehead while he considers his options. They are... very, VERY limited right now, as it turns out. Time to try to double-bluff to bail out!!

"O-oh, is that right? Uh, is this not dock, um... thirty-five? WEll this is really embarrassing then, isn't it! Haha..."

He akwardly rubs at the back of his neck with a (halfway-forced) laughter, trying his very, very best to not look nervous while he's closed in upon. "Uh... How about you just, uh... Point me the right way and I'll be right out of your hair, yeah?"

Gulp.

[BOB]
"Oh no, man," the younger of the two gangers says, moving closely with a certain arrogant swagger. "That just wouldn't do. I mean, I feel like it's my obligation as a gentleman, you know? Gotta help my fellow man, you dig?" He reaches out to try and put his arm around the younger man's shoulders and start leading him elsewhere.

"Say, how much do they pay you for this gig anyway? You look a little young, y'know? Didn't know the union hired guys your age."

There is something vaguely threatening about him, like a junkyard dog wandering around when one doesn't know just how long his chain actually is.

[DAISUKE]
"A-ah, no, that's..." Daisuke starts, and then lets out a tiny squeak when he suddenly finds an arm around his shoulders?! Gulp.

"It... it's work study, you know..." He mumbles with an akward laugh. But when he's actually getting turned to be lead off, he slips himself down and to the side with one arm pushing into the ganger's own to sweep it away and clear more room for him. "L-look really, I'll be fine, I'll find my own way after I get out of here."

[BOB]
"Aw, shit man, that sucks. Shouldn't you be like, studying for entrance exams and crap like that? Don't tell me your old man ran out or something so you gotta help make ends meet or somethin'?" The ganger steps away when Daisuke slips out from under his arm, raising his arms up.

"I mean, I didn't wanna say it, but this place is kind of rough sometimes, you know? Who knows what might happen out here."

[DAISUKE]
One step, two steps back. But with the feeling Daisuke is getting off of this particular fellow, he's not about to completely turn his back on him either. Wary eyes narrowing on the other man with a quiet gulp in the back of his throat.

"...I'm sure I will be fine," he tries to assure, forcing a small smile onto him. "L-look, I really ought to be going, I don't want to be late and all..."

[BOB]
"Oh yeah, man, of course, of course," the older man--probably still in his early twenties at the latest, runs his hand through his hair, sweeping it back. "Don't wanna your boss to chew you out, or tell your school you're a bad worker, right? Friggin' bosses, man."

The ganger suddenly slides up on Daisuke, uncomfortably close as he puts a hand on his shoulder. The heat of his breath is right there, with the awful smell of traces of alcohol and cheap ramen.

"Just look," he says, "you didn't see anybody out here, OK? This dock is closed, y'know. Wouldn't want something bad to happen, if somebody wandered over here. You feel me?"

There's the brief glint of light reflecting off something metallic in his hand.

[DAISUKE]
"T-that's a little close, man..." Daisuke complains more directly now with that uncomfortable breach of personal space, and even tries to nudge himself away from the foul-smelling ganger.

At the not-so-subtle urging and threat, he... well. Smiles nervously. He can *feel* it, too, of course. It's like a knife getting prodded at his throat, prickling at his senses like needles.

"I-I mean, I just saw men getting some work done, why would I bother mentioning that to anyone, r-right...?"

[BOB]
"That's the spirit," the ganger says, still uncomfortably close. He smiles, showing a couple of gold teeth.

Then he pushes back, letting go. "We're good then. We're good." He's still holding that knife tightly, swaying left and right as he steps. "So let's both get back to work, eh? No harm no fo---

"You're not going anywhere!"

The voice calls from above, a booming baritone, loudly projected. A large silhouette, looking a bit like a ...a barrel? A small car? Suddenly, it leaps from the top of the container, landing with a thunderous boom.

And as he rises back to his full height, it's clear that it's...a man. A very large man. Over six and a half feet tall and at least half as wide. He is dressed in a bright yellow and black, and white uniform that looks a bit like certain tokusatsu TV shows. His mask is yellow with black stripes down the middle. A white scarf blows behind him.

"...what the shit?" the ganger says. "You friends with a ... billboard, kid?"

[DAISUKE]
"Uh."

Daisuke definitely can't say he's known any humanoid billboards in his time. Certainly not one dressed like... uh. This?

"...First of all I'm pretty sure that's a person," declares Daisuke, with a sideward glance sent over to the way of the knife-wielding ganger.

"Second of all--" A subtle turn to the side brings him facing the ganger more directly, with a couple paces brought up in between them, and his hand draws up, held out towards him -- with arcs of energy glowing between spread fingers. "...I'll take it."

[BOB]
The ganger steps back, brandishing his knife more aggressively. He swings it forward in a flash, adjusting his grip so that the blade points downward, help like some kind of commando. He slashes twice more in his bravado, as to emphasize his deft knifeplay. He seems more out of his depth than anything at this point.

"Of course I know it's a guy, I'm makin' a joke--wait, what're you doin' kid? You want some too?!" He swallows as the energy crackles. He is quickly getting in over his head.

But there's no room for fear. Showing weakness is how one gets picked out as a target. His eyes move to Daisuke, then to the newcomer. He tightens his grip on his weapon.

"No need to do anything you'll regret, friend," the yellow-costumed hero (?) says, extending a hand. "Just put the knife down and there won't be trouble. I've got a few questions for you."

"I ain't no snitch!" he shouts suddenly, surging toward Daisuke---is he trying to take a hostage?!

COMBATSYS: Takeda has started a fight here on the left meter side.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Takeda           0/-------/-------|

COMBATSYS: Daisuke has joined the fight here on the right meter side.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Takeda           0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0          Daisuke

COMBATSYS: Daisuke dodges Takeda's Desperate Grapple.

[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Takeda           0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0          Daisuke

[DAISUKE]
"Oh hell..."

Daisuke winces instinctively the instant the ganger decides to make for him. Instead of the costumed superhero! How rude!

Nevermind that in his case he just doesn't have his costume *right now*. Uh. Anyway...

The redheaded teenager boucnes back a couple steps in the first reflexive effort to kee paway from the knife-wielding man-- but after the second backtrack, he suddenly bounces to the side, tucking his body into a roll along the ground that carries him past the other man and around him!

He might have learned that maneuver from a videogame. But nevermind that.

"I don't know who you are--!" Daisuke yells towards the hefty fellow in yellow at the end of the roll that sees him down on one knee, and sweeping his right hand out to point towards the ganger as the left takes hold of it at the wrist. "You've hell of a timing regardless!"

THe crackling energy between his fingers concentrates to flow onto his palm -- and then blast out in an arrow-shaped bolt of glowing cyan flying through the air for the ganger's back!

He's going to have to reconsider how often he agrees to favors for Malin from now on, maybe.

COMBATSYS: Daisuke successfully hits Takeda with Soul Arrow.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Takeda           0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0          Daisuke

[BOB]
The ganger's--Takeda's--hand swings through the air without purchase as he grasps at the open space where Daisuke was. He staggers afterward, off balance, and tries to reposition, clutching his knife and raising it defensively in case Daisuke comes back to hit him in the face. His eyes dart back and forth nervously, first to Daisuke, then to the man in the ridiculous outfit.

"What the--"

The crackling energy arrow shoots forward, and he reactively tries to dive out of the way. Instead, it catches him right as he turns and punches into his stomach with a burst of power. He wheezes, stumbling backward as he plants his hand on his side. "You some kind of undercover secret agent or something? Maybe you're one of those freaks with the Black Dragon!" He shakes the knife threateningly.

"I guess your wit's not as sharp as that knife, huh? Why don't you just cut with the insults and settle down for a bit, friend." The big man shifts, widening his stance. With his big body, one might expect him to lumber, or trundle, if he can even more that well. The fact that he was up on the container in the first place seems strange enough--

But then he surges forward with incredible speed. One moment he is standing some distance away, and in the next instant he's barreling down on Takeda. He throws a hard and fast gut punch with the left, then a strong right toward Takeda's chin with the right. His knee springs up as he steps forward, going for the man's stomach again. Finally he spins--with surprising grace--into an high kick aimed at catching the man upside his and spilling him onto the dock's hard concrete.

"Wish I could have been here sooner. You definitely look you were in a bit of a pickle--though maybe you can take care of yourself, eh?" The costumed man gives Daisuke a cocksure smile and an approving thumbs-up.

COMBATSYS: Bob has joined the fight here on the right meter side.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Takeda           0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0          Daisuke
                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                  |-------\-------\0              Bob

COMBATSYS: Takeda blocks Bob's Combination Bitter.

[           \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Takeda           0/-------/=======|=------\-------\0          Daisuke
                                  >  ///////////////////////////// ]
                                  |=------\-------\0              Bob

Takeda weathers the blows, doing his best to block. It does not seem to help that much. He does, at least, take the kick with his forearm so that he doesn't immediately go down and instead staggers away from the two men and tries to keep his footing.

"What the shit," the ganger pants, desperately holding onto his knife. "Did I stumble into the freakshow or something? Get stuffed!" He hurls his knife at the man in yellow.

In the next moment, he seems to realize he just threw away his knife and looks at Daisuke with concern.

[DAISUKE]
"Undercover-- huh?! Part of whatnow?!" Daisuke looks confused! He was technically undercover, sure, but the stuff this ganger is spouting now is throwing him off the loop. He's not knowledgeable about the geopolitical map of criminal organizations in Southtown!

The display from the yellow-suited Absolute Uni- er, uh, large man does cause pause in Daisuke, however. He actually is left staring with mouth agape for a moment from the sheer display of speed. And weight?!

"Look, just--" The redhead has the time to say as the start of his attempts to disassuade the ganger from further fight... only to be cut off by the sight of a knife getting thrown off at his unexpected ally.

He meets the ganger's concerned look with an entirely blank expression for all of half a second before he decides to punish him for his transgressions.

"He said to put it *down*!" The highschooler grunts out in exasperation as he lunges in and shoves his hand for Takeda's shoulder -- to grab on and push downwards. It's not really much of a technique that would really result in any kind of slam down, no--

...But the sudden, sharp pulse of energy at his palm would more than make up for the lack of finesse and power if the ganged-up-on ganger doesn't manage to stop the boy.

COMBATSYS: Daisuke successfully hits Takeda with Quick Throw.

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Takeda           1/-----==/=======|==-----\-------\0          Daisuke
                                  >  ///////////////////////////// ]
                                  |=------\-------\0              Bob

COMBATSYS: Bob dodges Takeda's Knife Throw.

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Takeda           1/-----==/=======|==-----\-------\0          Daisuke
                                  >  ///////////////////////////// ]
                                  |=------\-------\0              Bob

[BOB]
"Don't play dumb! Do I look like I'm stupid?" Takeda objects, stepping backward and trying to widen the gap. Meanwhile, the knife flies toward the man in the yellow jumpsuit only for him to lean to the side in a deft dodge of it. It clatters into the dark as it collides with a metal container.

And then Daisuke is in close, throwing the man to the ground with a pulse of strange power. He gasps as he hits the cement, the wind knocked out of him again.

"I don't know who you guys are, but I'm not gonna be made a fool of!" the ganger objects again, reaching down to grab the leg of his jeans. He tugs them up to expose his boot, then digs into it to pull out another knife. Flicking it open, he turns it in his hand and tries to jam it into Daisuke's thigh.

The man in yellow, meanwhile, can't get in with Daisuke that close.

COMBATSYS: Takeda successfully hits Daisuke with Boot Knife.

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Takeda           0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0          Daisuke
                                  >  ///////////////////////////// ]
                                  |=------\-------\0              Bob

[DAISUKE]
"... I mean, kinda."

Daisuke, please. Throwing shade at a guy while he's already outnumbered is bad form.

And with the man slammed down, Daisuke takes a deep, steadying breath while he straightens himself up, momentarily dazed by the surge of movements he was forced into.

...A moment that lasts well long enough for Takeda to pull his backup knife out and stab it right into the boy's thigh.

"Gaaahrgh?!"

The blade bites right through his pants and into the muscle of his leg, forcing the boy to falling down onto the groudn right next to the punk with a prolonged wriggle brought on by the pain.

"Agh... gahhhh...! Do you... have any idea-- how illegal that is?!"

Rolling onto his back there, his arm comes folding up over his own chest, too -- only to be swung out again towards the ganger, with a beam of energy extending out from his hand, swung in a wide horizontal (well, vertical, really, but horizontal in his point of view!) to slam down upon the thug!

COMBATSYS: Takeda blocks Daisuke's Soul Slash.

[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Takeda           0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0          Daisuke
                                  >  ///////////////////////////// ]
                                  |=------\-------\0              Bob

[BOB]
Takeda twists the knife and pulls it out again, a maniacal grin crossing his face as he's finally drawn blood. "Yeah, that's the problem with people talking about it!" He interjects, turning the knife around in his grip so it faces up and out from him. Planting on palm on the concrete, he pushes himself up into a stand, staggering as he does.

"I'm gonna cut you into p--"

The blade of energy slashes across his chest, cutting without cutting. The unseen damage racks his body and forces the ganger to stagger backward again, hissing in pain. "You--you freak!" He gets ready to charge again, but the "superhero" interjects himself, stepping in to intercept. Reaching out to grab Takeda by the arm and wrestle the knife from him. Gripping it tightly, the two get locked in a grapple.

"You okay, kid?" the yellow-suited man calls to Daisuke.

Watching the big man hold onto the other is a bit comical, in a way. It's a bit like watching a parent pick up their child to keep them away from something they're trying to grab.

COMBATSYS: Takeda takes no action.

[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Takeda           0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0          Daisuke
                                  >  ///////////////////////////// ]
                                  |=------\-------\0              Bob

[DAISUKE]
The breathing room given to Daisuke by the costumed 'hero' locking the thug into an armhold allows him to push himself carefully up to sitting with just the support of his hands and the push of his... well, un-stasbbed leg.

"Ugh... I mean, considering everything..." He mumbles, hand moving over his thigh towards the knife sticking out of it. But just the brush of his fingers against it alone is enough to make him wince in pain. Nope, that's not coming out just yet, no.

"...I guess okay...?"

COMBATSYS: Daisuke takes no action.

[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Takeda           0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0          Daisuke
                                  >  ///////////////////////////// ]
                                  |=------\-------\0              Bob

[BOB]
"That's what you get!" Takeda shouts around the man in yellow, who is doing a respectable job of holding him at bay. The difference in physical power between the two seems considerable.

"Ugh, yeah. Let me take a look at that in a min--"

It's at this moment that the ganger manages to slip out of would-be hero's grasp, using the sort of wile that one develops in the rougher parts of Southtown. He ducks up the bigger man's arm, going for Daisuke again---maybe in search of his knife or maybe looking for a hostage?!

"Hey, look out!" the big guy rumbles as he grasps at the ganger's coat.

COMBATSYS: Daisuke interrupts Strong Throw from Takeda with Blazing Blow.

[                         \\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Takeda           1/-----==/=======|======-\-------\0          Daisuke
                                  >  ///////////////////////////// ]
                                  |=------\-------\0              Bob

[DAISUKE]
"Eh?!"

Daisuke's initial reaction is nearly one of outright panic!! He stares at the sudden lunge from the ganger with widened eyes, while his hands scramble at his side to blindly try to find some kind of purchase on the ground to help push him up.

Lacking any better options, though...

"Cut--!" A blast of energy suddenly explodes at the elbow of his right arm, setting the limb into motion and actually carrying the rest of the redhead's body up off the ground, as his energy-coated fist is suddenly brought slamming sharply into the side of the thug's face! "--It out!!"

...Nevermind that the continued momentum from both of them does result in Daisuke smacking face-first into Takeda's shoulder before the both of them are sent flying to opposing sides after the collision. "Awah--!!!"

[BOB]
The next few moments are a blur. First the man is descending on Daisuke, grabbing at him to try and throw him. Then there's the elbow, erupting with power and sending the fist like a rocket toward the side of Takeda's face. It impacts it heavily, sending spittle and a bit of blood splattering across the dock floor. His shoulder collides with Daisuke, but he definitely winds up worse for the wear as he flies through the air and crashes down hard.

"Uh," the big man in yellow reaches up and rubs the side of his head. "He found an opening...sorry about that."

COMBATSYS: Takeda takes no action.

[                         \\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Takeda           1/-----==/=======|======-\-------\0          Daisuke
                                  >  ///////////////////////////// ]
                                  |=------\-------\0              Bob

COMBATSYS: Takeda has reached second wind!

[                         \\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Takeda           1/-----==/=======|======-\-------\0          Daisuke
                                  >  ///////////////////////////// ]
                                  |=------\-------\0              Bob

[DAISUKE]
"Ugh... I'm okay..." Daisuke assures while he's left down to laying on his side on the ground -- and thankfully not hte side that has a knife sticking out of it, heaven forbid he accidentally got it pushing the wound into something worse.

"Okay, maybe... ugghhh..." Rolling over to sitting again, he winces, some color draining a bit from his face. "...Maybe not that good. C-...can't say I've been stabbed before, wah..."

COMBATSYS: Daisuke drops his guard to recover.

[                         \\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Takeda           1/-----==/=======|======-\-------\0          Daisuke
                                  >  ///////////////////////////// ]
                                  |=------\-------\0              Bob

[BOB]
"Oh, yeah, that's no good," the big man says, stepping over toward Daisuke. He looks at the knife, clenching his teeth, then reaches for his scarf to pull it away. He pulls it taut, looking at Daisuke's leg again before pulling the scarf once again, testingly.

"Gonna make a bandage here to help with the bleeding. I've got a first aid kit too so that we can --"

Takeda is suddenly on his feet again. Blood is running down his forehead--possibly from a scrape in the fall. There's a flash of a knife again as he charges in, raring back to take another swing, this time at the superhero since he's still standing.

Even so, when he does he leaves himself directly in front of Daisuke.

[DAISUKE]
"I-- I can probably get to a hospital or something after you get i-"

Daisuke's assurances are immediately cut short! Oh no! Daisuke's jaw drops downwards slightly from the sheer shock of the g anger's continued persistence! ...And maybe stupidity? You'd think he would have decided it would be a better coice to run away at this point. OR at the very least play dead if nothing else?

"Buh-- are you for real right now?!" Daisuke groans out, exasperated -- and against his better judgement, he actually manages to push himself up into a wild leap up off the ground and at the knife-wielding ganger, with his arm outstretched at his side. Clothesliiiiine!

"Stay dooooooooown!!!"

COMBATSYS: Takeda successfully hits Bob with Knife Thrust.
- Power hit! -

[                          \\\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Takeda           1/-----==/=======|=====--\-------\0          Daisuke
                                  >  //////////////////////////    ]
                                  |===----\-------\0              Bob

COMBATSYS: Daisuke successfully hits Takeda with Spirited Charge.
Grazing Hit

[                                < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Takeda           1/---====/=======|=======\-------\0          Daisuke
                                  >  //////////////////////////    ]
                                  |===----\-------\0              Bob

[BOB]
Takeda thrusts forward with his knife, and the man in the yellow suit reaches up to intercept. The ganger bobs and weaves, proving more slippery than anticipated as he slides in and slashes across the man's side. He hurks, drawing back with a quick step--

And Daisuke capitalizes on the gap, catching the man around the neck with the clothesline. He goes airborne, right off his feet for several seconds before heading the pavement hard with a loud huuurk. He seems to have gone down, hopefully for more than a minute, this time.

"Whoof," the "superhero" rubs his side. "Shouldn't have let my guard down. Thanks for the save, friend."

COMBATSYS: Takeda takes no action.

[                           \\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Takeda           1/---====/=======|=======\-------\0          Daisuke
                                  >  //////////////////////////    ]
                                  |===----\-------\0              Bob

COMBATSYS: Takeda has reached third wind!

[                           \\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Takeda           1/---====/=======|=======\-------\0          Daisuke
                                  >  //////////////////////////    ]
                                  |===----\-------\0              Bob

[DAISUKE]
THe leaping clothesline does result in Daisuke rolling through the air after the collision, and falling right down onto his back on the pavement.

"Ugh..." The redhead groans out down below, face still a bit pale just from the earlier realization alone that he has a knife sunken pretty deep into his leg. But he still manages to (possibly a bit sardonically) hold up one hand for a thumb-up towards Bob. "Happy... to help..."

"...Um... Can I please get this out now...?"

[BOB]
"Sure," the man in yellow said, making his way over to Daisuke and dropping down. He seemed to be ignoring his own wounds in favor of tending to the younger man's as he started winding the scarf around his leg.

"Oh, uh," he leaned in, "Call me Bob, by the way. I'm still working on the, y'know, superheroic name. It feels a little pretentious, you know, since I figure we need to check you in someplace anyway and...yeah. They kind of require ID for that."

Takeda, meanwhile, may have spit out of a tooth. Looking at Bob and Daisuke, he considers a sneak attack...

And then thinks better of it, slowly crawling in a different direction.

COMBATSYS: Takeda takes no action.

[                           \\\  < >  //////////////////////////    ]
Takeda           1/---====/=======|=======\-------\0          Daisuke
                                  >  //////////////////////////    ]
                                  |===----\-------\0              Bob

[DAISUKE]
"...Uhm. Daisuke..." The redhead offers back, a bit akwardly now. For various different reasons to be akward, at that! "...Um, sorry. I guess I did kind of get in the way of you asking things from them. You wanted to get more information too, didn't you?" Glancing up to the 'superhero' while the scarf's getting wound up around his leg, prompting a bit of a wince from him.

"L-look, if there's something you need to do still, I can... probably make it to a cab on my own..."

Thankfully for Takeda, he's blissfully ignorant of the ganger's efforts to crawl to Anywhere But Here.

[BOB]
"Nice to meet you, Daisuke," Bob says with genuine friendliness. "Shame the circumstances weren't a little better. -- but don't worry about it." He gives the high schooler a thumbs up.

"No, getting you out of here is the first priority. I can always track one of these guys down again later..."

Takeda keeps crawling away, slowly, trying not to make too much noise. He glances over his shoulder nervously.

"...so you were after information then, huh? Any particular reason? These guys can be pretty dangerous, but I see you probably know that by now..." He looks at the knife.

[DAISUKE]
"... My first meetings with people aren't usually when they're dressed up like that though, so...?" Maybe Daisuke is a *little* worried about it then.

"N-no, it's... fine..." He insists regardless, while he now makes the effort to start pushing himself up... with just one foot, seeing as his other leg is, uh, in a not very good state at the moment. It hurts quite a bit still! "Hhgh... I can't be any more of a distraction... At least someone should get something done here, and I can... at least hop to the street..."

Apparently the notion of just hopping along on one foot isn't one that's too embarrassing for Daisuke. Hm.

When he inevitably does make it up to one foot, his stance is... well, unsteady, to put it mildly. Wobbling a little, perhaps, just out of fear of accidentally pressing down on his injured leg and causing more damage to it.

"Just... scouting," he admits, though trying not to get too into it. "For some people who don't like the danger these people put here, you know?"

[BOB]
Bob clears his throat. "Well, anyway," he rolls with it, not commenting on the costume. Instead, his attention shifts back to Daisuke's leg again.

"Whoa, careful there," Bob says, stepping forward. "Here, let me give you a hand." The bigger man steps in and, if Daisuke doesn't avoid it, simply ... hefts him up into his arms. It is a big awkward, but it doesn't seem to give him any trouble, at least?

"And yeah, they're definitely up to no good."

Takeda stops, glancing back over his shoulder, then hurried pulls himself behind a cargo container out of sight. It is extremely awkward and not at all subtle.

Even so, Bob seems to have his focus on other things. "The closest hospital isn't that far. I'll double back here as soon as we drop you off. I doubt they'll be able to get everything out of here before then."

[DAISUKE]
"I-it's fine, I can ma-UWAH?!"

Daisuke did NOT see that coming! Getting scooped up into the arms of a very... uh, large superhero was definitely not something he expected to be dealing today. And his face quickly turns red with that while he wriggles slightly out of obligatory protest!

"I-i-is this really necessary?!"

This is highly embarrassing! And embarrassing enough that Takeda, despite his inherent unstealthiness, escapes his complete notice, too!

[BOB]
"Yeah, sorry. I'll try and drop you off out of sight, huh? We'll make this work." Bob is already moving toward the direction of the nearest hospital, apparently already familiar with the area.

"So, uh," Bob continues, "Aren't you a big young for police work? I mean, not that you can't take care of yourself, of course." He moves at a fairly brisk pace to be carrying another person. "But I'd have figured your folks might be wondering where you're at at this hour?"

[DAISUKE]
"I-- I guess I am not really in a position to complain..." Allows Daisuke, though it does come with a hint of a huff on his own part.

But then comes that particular line of questioning, and the redhead pointedly looks away and down towards the ground while it moves along underneath him from Bob's steps. "...Ain't anyone wonderin' that. I live alone. Just... trying to do my part, is all."

[BOB]
"Sorry," Bob asks, "shouldn't have assumed." He continues toward the hospital, which is fortunately not TOO far away. That could be kind of embarrassing, if it was.

"...if you're looking to help catch some of these guys, I might could use some help. At the very least, we could share some intel. I'll give you my card."

Bob pauses, furrowing his brow slightly. He adjusts his mask with a tug. "...I don't usually wear this for *that* job."

[DAISUKE]
"I mean... I guess I kinda look young," Daisuke allows, with a self-conscious, akward little laugh. "Ahem."

At the particular suggestion of helping along later, though, he perks up a bit. Actually, he might not be sure what to think of that, after getting involved with Malin's request for help in this... Or actually, no. Maybe this one's mor ereliable than Malin? Huh.

"...I, uh... won't tell anyone."

[BOB]
"Just a bit." Bob says, "but I work with a lot of people, mostly. You start reading mannerisms and things. You know." The hospital pulls into view as Bob rounds a corner. He looks at the front, considers, then doubles around for a back entrance.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. I'll just," Bob shifts his grip slightly, pulling out a business card form his...utility belt?!

"I'll pass this off to you when I drop you off, and we'll be set."

Meanwhile, Takeda has settled behind a crate. He reaches into his jacket, pulling out his phone. When it doesn't turn on, he taps it several times on the screen, violently. ... It splinters into fragments of glass and plastic. Apparently he fell on it a few times. The ganger goes pale, realizing he's in a worse situation than he thought.

COMBATSYS: Takeda has left the fight here.

                                  >  //////////////////////////    ]
                                  |=======\-------\0          Daisuke
                                  >  //////////////////////////    ]
                                  |===----\-------\0              Bob

COMBATSYS: Bob has left the fight here.

                                  >  //////////////////////////    ]
                                  |=======\-------\0          Daisuke

COMBATSYS: Daisuke has ended the fight here.

Log created on 19:01:07 06/19/2021 by Bob, and last modified on 15:35:56 07/03/2021.