Description: The Rebellion Forces against Rolento heard about supplies of RPGs and grenades being in a warehouse within the Industrial District. The Shank Squad and Mad Gear guarded the goods, lead by Kyle Wolfe, Jiro's best friend who Jiro thought died long ago. Kyle had hopes for Jiro to join by his side in the Shank Squad and Mad Gear's most glorious moment. Jiro gave his answer. The result of the fight is... left to be read. I'd like to gratefully thank Alma for NPCing Kyle for this TP involving Metro City.
It's one of those nights... The shiny bright sky shine from the heavens due to the stars. Glittering stars give off its dead silence within the air. It's a new night.... It's a beautiful night.
...It's the time to strike. A full moon.
Surrounding the district are iron gates. These iron gates have sharp spikes at the top, looking rather foreboding.
Within the industrial district of Metro City is a large warehouse. That warehouse has a lot of good weaponry that the Shank Squad would have. Ranging from crates filled with grenades to RPGs, the place is surrounded with several Shank Squad soldiers, all listening to the orders of Kyle.
However, they aren't alone. The 'Rebels' are making their way into the vicinity slowly, surrounding the inside while they are sneaking their way in. The leader of the group is the XO, a gruffy taller man who's in his twenties. The Stray Dog is following, looking at the crates through the window. "...Well, time to get started..."
"Go fish."
With a little sigh, a gigantic pale man sporting a gold nose hoop and wearing tattered leathers, hunched over in a chair far too small for him, slides the top card off the deck of playing cards before him. Five other men of various ethnicities but built similarly, and one dark-skinned youth with corn-rows, have gathered around this table, and for now are mostly silent. The constant fighting has sobered them from their initial gleeful looting, it seems, and some of them have begun to question their place in this new world. Meanwhile, while there are many dressed "informally" just like the group around the table, the majority of the thugs, wearing drab uniforms, look less relaxed, and wield automatic weapons and carry grenades belted to their vests. Occasionally, some of the thugs around the table, looking much less disciplined, cast baleful eyes at their uniformed partners.
"Shank Squad nothin'," finally mutters one of the thugs, staring at his cards. "They're useless. Mad Gear isn't gettin' enough respect--"
"Enough, Ice," the dark-skinned youth says, surprisingly evenly. "If we don't work with them, we won't work with anybody. Boss will get us through in the end. Then, we'll see." His eyes do not stray from his cards as he speaks.
"Hey, but do you think that Stray Dog kid's really gonna show up and help us out?" another ventures. "It's been three days. Maybe he won't be able to make it through to here. You said yourself, Kyle, the p... per... perimeter's secure."
The dark-skinned boy's face softens, and for a moment, the ghost of a smile plays around his lips. "Jiro will be able to make it," he says gently. "Together, we'll make Metro City into the world I envision." His smile firms up, and he looks around at his closest companions, who seem heartened by the gestured. "It can't happen any other way."
"I won't let it."
There isn't nothing more than a few moments for the Rebels to finally corner up on each other. The Stray Dog, unfortunately, has a bad feeling about this. "...Why the hell am I getting involved again...?" He grumbles, "Ah yes..." . o O ( I was stupid enough to agree with this. I should of had Megumi out there while I scouted for signs of any other radio stations...)
Soon, the men are making their way into the gates of all sides. The rebels contact each other via radio frequency.
<<Moving in. Ready?>>
<<Ready.>>
And from then, that's when the ambush begins. First step is that one of them throw out a bomb that fills the area full of smoke.
Using that as opportunity, the next squadron rush in, immediately opening fire towards the terrorists within the area while the mist is going on.
"Surrender now and hand in the stuff or die!"
"....Lovely..." The Stray Dog mutters, following the group inside while the smoke screen fills the air, "...Let's just get this over with." He grumbles, tightening the leather straps. "...Payback for the god damn detonation."
"Holy--"
The Mad Gear Pals don't have time for much else -- whereas Kyle Wolfe, with quicker wits than his compatriots, only freezes for a moment before flipping over the table to shield himself and his friends as he and his companions dive for cover. The Shank Squaders, acting independantly as a unit, almost immediately begin to return fire as well, and a major ranged battle begins at the front gate, both sides firing into smoky confusion and tossing grenades desperately, taking cover behind beat old cabinets and large boxes. Meanwhile, the remainder of the Shank Squad opens fire side by side with gun-toting Mad Gear members to protect the other entrances, while Kyle, already in action, brings the rest of Mad Gear to rush and engage the oncoming rebels in melee. They may not have any of the spectacular fighting talent that blesses people like Jiro, but they have years of experience, and it shows; the fighting is serious.
And Kyle is in the thick of it, striking out with cool precision with a hammer in his right hand and a butterfly knife in his left, surrounded by his six allies. Kyle seems to be no better or worse a fighter than the rest of them; but his completely calm demeanors seems to automatically hearten anyone fighting close by him, and as if by nature, he rallies Mad Gear to him, without needing to resort to words. Without him, they would still just be milling around in confusion anyway.
The defenders have not been immediately routed by the surprise attack. This is starting to look like a pitched battle.
That's when things are starting to get hectic. While the Shank Squad and Mad Gear are returning fire, many of the cavalry arrive to dispense their justice in lead to the incoming members. With rounds of bullets flying in the air, the hardened citizens are making their attack to gain access to the supplies. Some of them are using it as cover to try to blast open the crates. Others, are shooting.
Few of the men are shot, but they don't suffer too bad of damage.
Of course... the focus is not on the soldiers..
The men that are in front of Kyle? Well, they are quickly tossed to the side. One of them ends up flying into the air very far. By that time... the smoke is clearing....
....While the smoke clear, the perpretrater of the punch is wearing the brown trenchcoat and black cargo pants. The youth is rather blond and the expression is annoyed. "...Well... it's not Nassir's sorry ass, but... it'll do...." His eyes focus forward.
...Oh shit.
His eyes widen to see who it is, "...Kyle...." He frowns, "...I was afraid of this."
COMBATSYS: Alma has started a fight here.
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Alma 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Jiro has joined the fight here.
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Alma 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Jiro
Even Kyle's countenance begins to look alarmed when his larger friends are thrown aside like ragdolls. Flipping the hammer expertly in his hands, Wolfe backpedals a bit, to better give their assailant the eye--
He freezes. The sound of gunfire fades, replaced by a strange ringing in his head. Mildly concerned by this, Kyle starts to shake his head, in the hopes that he'll be able to free whatever's making that noise. But he can't. He can't, and it's trapped inside him, and it's trying to tear free, and everything's falling apart. He starts to move backwards again, stumbling slightly, and he then he hears someone screaming: "Get him! Get Stray Dog! Kill him! Tear him apart! Bastard! Jiro, you bastard!"
It is only when his throat begins to feel raw that he realizes he is the one screaming.
On cue, three large Mad Gear members desperately hurl themselves at Jiro, attempting to bear him down to the ground and bring the fight in close, where they will better be able to gang up on him.
COMBATSYS: Jiro counters Strong Throw from Alma with Backlash.
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Alma 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Jiro
The Stray Dog's eyes harden when he looks at Kyle's face. "Listen Kyle...." The youth is looking towards the three large Mad Gear members trying to hurl themselves his way. The look on his face is rather annoyed. "It doesn't have to end this way." He peers over towards the incoming thugs getting closer.
"Okay, screw this." First off, the Stray Dog is reaching over to grab at one of the men's arms, then he is swinging that one thug's hand all around to start using him as a damn blunt object to smack the other three. "Bitches. You're not invited...." He lifts the single thug into the air, his tone becoming very annoyed.
Then he drops his body to the ground, aiming to plant the thug on top of the two thugs, head first.
"Into the conversation." He kicks the three while they're down, and he spits at their way. "****wads." He looks at Kyle, stepping towards Wolfe. "...You are in the same position as I was when I first arrived in Southtown."
"What the hell is wrong with you, man!?" Kyle's shoulders are actually shaking now. This is a far cry from the young man Jiro met three days previously. "Why are you doing this!? Why are you with *them*? *They* don't understand!" He spreads his arms, but his hands are clenched into fists. "What'll you think'll happen if your side wins? You think things'll be any better than before all of our efforts? No! It'll have all just been a big fuckin' waste! Thanks, O'Reilly! Thanks a hell of a lot!"
It is when the lighting hits Kyle just right, and the moisture around his eyes gleams, that he is revealed to be, far more obviously than ever before, exactly Jiro's age. And too young to be leading a gang.
Kyle doesn't even seem to notice what his gang members are doing anymore, but thanks to Jiro's sudden entrance, the tide of battle is beginning to turn. In rage, two more gang members rush Jiro: one from the front, whipping out a chain, and the other from behind, aiming to wallop him in the back of the head with a two-by-four. Lucky for Jiro, the loaded guns are all already taken -- for now.
COMBATSYS: Jiro counters Random Weapon from Alma with Bull Fist.
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Alma 0/-------/-======|=------\-------\0 Jiro
"...A waste of what?" Jiro lifts an eye open to stare towards his best friend, "...What....5 years? You have plenty of more. We're both sixteen." His expression is looking rather dry,especially when the gangs are trying to wallop him with a two-by-four.
"...Okay, excuse me for a moment..." He glares at the two gang members rushing his way, "SEI!" He takes a giant step back, winding his right fist back. Channeling his chi together, the youth steps forward while thrusting the fist out towards the gangns in front of him.
"DO!" He sends the fist striking towards the first one, aiming to strike the one in front to send him flying to the one behind, and both falling to the ground.
"Kyle. When I arrived to Southtown, I hated living this way. I -hated- my life... I blamed my -father- for the god damn divorce. And for the love of God, Kyle... It's _KASAGI_." He hisses in annoyance.
"I fell in the wrong side of the gang... like you're with Mad Gear and Shank Squad... I was with a gang under the rule of Taira. He had me steal, wreck havoc, and all of that ****." He murmurs, "But you know what...?" I had a better alternative later. Do you know what that is?"
Meanwhile, the Rebellion are charging in, going after the crates filled with RPGS and other assorted weaponry, trying to gain the advantage to take over the Shank Squad and Mad Gear.
With Kyle's leadership, they might've had a chance. Maybe. With Kyle's leadership, and with no one of Jiro's caliber fighting on the home team, Mad Gear and Shank Squad might've been able to repulse the offensive. But Kyle is neutralized, Jiro is wreaking havoc, and Rolento's paramilitary is being pushed back step by step. The Shank Squad is attempting to cover the ammunition, but their organization is fracturing as their members are wounded, and their defensive formation is crumbling. Meanwhile, Mad Gear is, as is often their wont, descending into chaos, and are not fighting Jiro's allies effectively anymore.
The dark-skinned youth stops stepping back, but his arms tremble. "So. Because I'm in a gang, you think I'm wrong? I'm trying to fix Metro City, Jiro! When we're finished, the slums that I grew up will be *clean*! There will be *order*! The chaos we lived in... nothing good came out of it! Nothing! Just pain and suffering! I'm tired of it!" Gritting his teeth, Kyle Wolfe seems to master himself a bit, but it's as though his soul can no longer be contained within his body; he literally still can't come to grips with the fact that this is happening. "Why? Why are you betraying me!? What could possibly be so important!? What do you know that I don't, huh!? You jackass!"
The gang members are steering clear from Jiro; but a glint may catch the young fighter's eye. For a Mad Gear member has, in desperation, drawn a sawed-off shotgun from under a coat, and pointing it at Jiro with a wild look in his eye, while Kyle stands completely unaware of the action, he squeezes the trigger...
The spray of high-velocity buckshot is enough to, naturally, kill a normal man, when hit in a critical area (or even if not), and certainly comes too fast to dodge. But Jiro has that special gift...
COMBATSYS: Jiro endures Alma's Sacred Wave.
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Alma 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Jiro
Okay. Now Jiro is just annnoyed.
The Stray Dog is making his way towards Kyle and the rest of Mad Gear, grumbling to himself angrily while he's trying his damnedest to get to his best friend. He knows that there is faith in him. Jiro can't give up on him. The Stray Dog grumbles to himself, glaring towards Kyle.
Alright, the Stray Dog quickly notices the glint from one of the gang memebrs pulling out a shotgun. When the shot gun comes his way, Jiro hisses as he takes a step forward. The gunshot strikes him to the chest, and it sends Jiro sprawling back just a tad bit. He grumbles in irritation as the gunshot penetrates him.
"...Ow." He glares at the gang member, then he pulls out one of the kunais that Duo Lon tossed at him. ...Eh. Screw it. Instead, Jiro pulls out a bullet from his pocket, then he tosses it at the Mad Gear thug's head.
That's right. Jiro threw a ****ing bullet at a person's head. Like getting smacked in the face with a golf ball.
Jiro looks over towards Kyle, "You know why I am 'betraying you'? Because I want you back. I want the Kyle I knew back.... You don't have to live here... I -came- to this damn place in the first place and I am involved with this crap because I want you back...I'm offering you another choice. Living with me in Southtown."
"As a Gedo student." He smirks. "Or a better school than that."
COMBATSYS: Jiro successfully hits Alma with Thrown Object.
- Power hit! -
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Alma 1/------=/=======|====---\-------\0 Jiro
"Wh... what?"
Kyle Wolfe steps back, and his expression forms sickeningly into a blend of shock and twisted mirth. "Ha ha! Aha ha ha ha! You want me to leave? Leave this place? I was... I was gonna fix it. Fix it for good... damn it!" Rage tears its way back onto his features. "I was gonna be a part of something big, Jiro! Me, Kyle Wolfe, helping to fix the whole damn city! People better recognize! God... God damn! There's nothin' *wrong* with me!" Unable to express the terror and confusion that now holds him, struggling wildly to escape the void that he feels the very foundations of his own reality being sucked into, consumed by the fear he thought he had overcome by leaving his past life behind; those aspects of Kyle Wolfe that, in five years, had been denied their right to exist, have now emerged again in the presence of an old friend, and they have not grown enough to support the needs of the young man that now stands there, knuckles white, gold fang bared.
His men are now ignoring him; he has devolved, and they barely recognize him. Furthermore, they are busy crowding around one of their fallen members, who, empty shotgun barely held in a limp hand, appears to have been knocked unconscious by a thrown bullet. Mad Gear doesn't really know how to react.
But those who failed to see Jiro shrug off the buckshot -- and thus aren't just staring wide-eyed, having Final Fight flashbacks -- are now rushing him, and as Kyle begins to stagger backward again, those thugs that still have some fight left in them, who still believe taking Jiro down will turn the tide, converge and aim punches and kicks at the younger fighter.
COMBATSYS: Alma successfully hits Jiro with Strong Punch.
Glancing Blow
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Alma 1/-----==/=======|=====--\-------\0 Jiro
Getting a hold of the RPGs and the Grenades, the Rebellion are now opening fire, and in fact, some of them are getting ready to set the place on fire. Not quite yet, but they are waiting for the signal.
"What cost?" Jiro frowns, "Terrorizing the people? You can only make that order in this place out of fear." The Stray Dog is grumbling with an annoyed tone, "I know a person that wanted to revolutionized Southtown. Failed. This will fail. Just listen to yourself." He glances at Kyle, "This is why I'd rather you join me at Gedo. We can fight side by side. We can actually 'clean up' without making fea--... well, we'll get a bad reputation, because we're a gang but...."
He is interrupted by the charging thugs coming his way, they are rushing way omce more as they are trying to take him down. Jiro only quickly moves around to take away their chances of striking him along his chest or stomach. But one of them strike him at the edge of the cheek.
"..."
Jiro winds the right hand to the left ear, then he swings it out towards the group. "Bitches, quit interrupting." Yeah, the Stray's annoyed.
Embrace the pimpsmack, bastards.
Rolento has arrived.
COMBATSYS: Jiro successfully hits Alma with Quick Punch.
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Alma 1/---====/=======|=====--\-------\0 Jiro
The massive, lightning-fast pimpsmack sends what's left of the still undaunted gangers sprawling backwards, clutching their faces. If they all ganged up on Jiro all at once, maybe they could take him down. But they've lost their leadership; they've pretty much lost the fight, too. The Shank Squad isn't giving up, but Mad Gear is doing what they can to cut their losses and slip out the back door, so to speak. Sadly for them, the 'back doors' were all also invasion points for the rebels. It looks as though the defense is collapsing in on itself, especially without Kyle's natural leadership talents.
He's distracted.
"I'll kill you," he hisses, stumbling backwards, unable to tear his eyes away from Jiro, moving toward some stairs that appear to lead upward. "I'll kill you, I'll kill your mother, I'll kill your sister, I'll destroy everyone and everything you love, and then *maybe you'll stop preachin'*, you *bastard*!" Chest heaving, eyes wide, in the throes of complete and utter desperation, Kyle nearly trips over the bottom step and, with natural reflexes, lashes out to grasp the railing. Still, he does not look away. "*Don't* tell me how to fix things! I don't give a *damn* if the lazy-ass people are scared! They never gave a damn in the first place! This was my utopia, Jiro!" He gasps for breath, and then begins fishing around in his jacket. "This was my dream!"
"What did I do to deserve this from you!?"
Drawing a grenade from his jacket, he pops the pin, chucks it, and finally tears away, fleeing up the stairs.
COMBATSYS: Jiro dodges Alma's Large Thrown Object.
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Alma 1/---====/=======|=====--\-------\0 Jiro
While the Rebellion keep the group trapped together, the Stray Dog is following Kyle up the stairs. He grumbles with an annoyed tone as he is getting further towards Kyle. "You won't do shit, Kyle." He is following his friend, "Because I'd sackbeat the shit out of you before you get the chance."
Yeah, this is now annoying. The Stray Dog is walking straight towards Kyle when he grasps for the jacket. He grunts, grasping the grenade, and he tosses it down towards the group below. The group? Being the Shank Squad members.
A present towards Rolento.
*BOOM!*
Meanwhile, Jiro growls, "....A dream? This a nightmare. This is ****ing tyranny! This is crap." He growls, then he shakes his head towards Kyle.
The Stray Dog leaps into the air, spinning towards Kyle's direction. He's driving the fist out towards the young man's chest, then he is using it as leverage to deliver an downward punch to send Kyle spawling through the next door.
....Outside... It's starting to rain. Not showers, but it's pouring now. With the gathered darkness, thunder is heard crackling.
COMBATSYS: Alma dodges Jiro's Heaven's Diminisher.
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Alma 1/---====/=======|=====--\-------\0 Jiro
Downstairs, the fight is over. Upstairs, a fight is just beginning.
Jiro tears his way through the door and blows apart the stairs, only to find that Kyle has already dashed away, the sound of pounding footsteps retreating higher and higher, until the sounds become muffled as they mingle with those of the rain. The stairway leads to a door, still swinging on its hinges, a wide slightly sloped concrete roof, and a soaking wet, dark-skinned youth, chest heaving.
"You won't die," he says, looking bewildered, sounding lost. "Why won't you die? Why do you keep coming?"
For a moment, he looks poised to just fall to his knees right there; until the tendons in his neck tighten, his hands clench, and he dashes forward, drawing his fist back in rage.
"YOU'RE NOT BETTER THAN ME!"
Lightning flashes, and he strikes.
COMBATSYS: Jiro endures Alma's Strong Punch.
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Alma 1/--=====/=======|=======\-------\0 Jiro
"Why? The same reason that I put myself in pain... the -same- reason why I -HATED- myself... the same reason why I hated everything I failed at... the same reason I came back."
He is given a punch towards the gut by Kyle. There is a silencing grit of the teeth as the Stray Dog growls at Kyle, "...I came back because of my best friend... I came back..."
He growls, "Because I -want- my best friend back... I don't want to hate myself... I don't want to blame myself for everything anymore."
Jiro lifts his eyes up at Kyle, bringing himself into focus. "I came to bring you to Southtown with me, so we don't have to give a damn about trying to Revolutionize shit anymore." He snorts.
COMBATSYS: Jiro focuses on his next action.
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Alma 1/--=====/=======|=======\-------\0 Jiro
Kyle staggers back, and begins to take gasping breaths. The sound of fighting from down below is over; not that he is paying attention. He's just staring, wide-eyed, up at Jiro.
"What are you talking about?" he murmurs. For the first time, he almost sounds reasonable. "What did you ever blame yourself for...?"
He hasn't really lowered his guard, inasmuch as he's had a guard up in the first place. But his complete confusion with how things have turned out, his inability to come to grips with the fact that Jiro hasn't decided to indulge his great dream, is able to channel itself through this simple question. For a moment, Kyle no longer seems on the verge of breaking apart.
COMBATSYS: Alma focuses on his next action.
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Alma 1/--=====/=======|=======\-------\0 Jiro
Stepping further into the rain, the Stray Dog is now becoming soaking wet. The blond, messy hair is drenched with water as they pour along the face. They keep dripping until they try to form a blinding substance. Thankfully, the Stray Dog isn't so easiily swayed by the darkening of the air.
His trenchcoat becomes more soaken as he is beaten with the water. This, in turn, forms an unpleased frown from the Stray's lips. His eyes lower when Kyle asks him what he's talking about. The Stray Dog murmurs to himself, "...I blamed myself for your death." He folds his arms, narrowing his eyes, "I blamed myself for not being there to protect you, not trying to get you to come with me, not having you around to keep me sane and away from people like Taira, for me not to be able to keep people from Mad Gear from coming after you and trying to corrupt you."
"I blamed myself so much that I took it out on my sister, trying to protect her obsessively from bastards who tried to kill her TO get me to join them."
"I blamed myself for a lot of things... I spent the days wondering.... why wasn't I around to make sure your head on straight... why wasn't I around to have you keep my head straight...? ...And when I look at you now... with Mad Gear... with this whole shit about starting a new world... I still ask myself that."
COMBATSYS: Jiro takes a breather.
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Alma 1/--=====/=======|=======\-------\0 Jiro
The darkness shrouds Kyle's face. Flashes of lightning reveal a bowed head, and then a slowly rising figure, who turns away even as he gets to his feet. Jiro's only response, for a long while, is silence, and the steady drum of the rain against the concrete roof.
"It really was a bad idea, you know?" he says softly. "Letting Boss convince us into joining up with the Shank Squad. I knew it'd probably just get us killed. But... I was already dead, you know?" Kyle Wolfe tilts his head up, still facing the opposite direction. "Maybe, even as a ghost, I'd be able to make an impact. Havin' made a decision I could never take back, I had resolved to just go forward, and never think of the consequences again... you know?"
"But I can't take this back either, can I?" There's a hit of soft, rasping, melancholy humor in the question. "Jiro, I'll never leave this place alive. If Boss doesn't kill me, the Big Man will. Maybe I shoulda died when the car hit me... maybe then everything woulda made more sense."
"...what did I want to live for, anyway? There's no peace in this world for a guy like me."
He turns back. He's sort of smiling, but his face is mostly slack. The rain has soaked his face and clothes. There's an eerie light in his eye. He's looking at Jiro, and he's looking through him. "I can't go back," he whispers. "I'll never go back..." Slipping his hand into the pocket of his jacket, weakly, he pulls out one last, small, pineapple-shaped object. "...I gambled, and lost. It happens. It's cool. But... it's a little late for us, isn't it? After all... I'm dead and buried."
He pops the pin. It hits the roof, and makes a light tinging noise, clear as a bell, even amongst the sound of the rain and rumble of thunder.
"...it was never your fault, Jiro. You can't save people from themselves... you know?"
COMBATSYS: Alma successfully hits Jiro with Large Thrown Object.
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Alma 1/--=====/=======|=======\=------\1 Jiro
The resulting explosion blasts the two apart...
COMBATSYS: Alma has left the fight here.
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Jiro 1/-----==/=======|
"...." The Stray Dog stares at Kyle, "Damnit Kyle...." He growls at his friend, then he responds to him. He frowns as he mentions that the youth is already dead. "It's not ****ing too late for you, god damnit! It's not too late for you to turn back! I can protect you from this!" The Stray shouts towards Kyle.
"There -IS- a place." The pinapple object explodes off towards the Stray Dog. His eyes widen as he is attempting to duck for cover. Unfortunately, the youth is given a powerful blast, and the Stray Dog is groaning in pain.
When the rubble continues to smother along the ara, the youth growls with an annoyed tone, and he looks onward to see that the blast sight clears.
"...Kyle....?!" He looks around. Please don't let his body drop... please don't let it land into the gate's spikes...
Jiro, soaken and drenched, he is getting back to his feet, making his way towards the edge of the building, "KYLE!"
...If he doesn't see his body, there is a chance he could of survived the blast. There was a chance... If he didn't land at the sharpened gates. Even a drop to the normal ground would of kept him alive.
COMBATSYS: Jiro has ended the fight here.
~ It's funny. There's so much pain, I just can't feel anything at all.
But I think I've been in this sorta state for a while, really... ~
The point-blank grenade blast did more than hurtle Kyle Wolfe over the edge of the building. Kyle, not a fighter in the same right that Jiro is, does not have any spectacular resistance to normal weaponry. For fragmentary grenades deal damage not in the explosion itself, but in the shrapnel that blasts outward, tearing apart everything in the vicinity; thus their pineapple-like design, for easy splitting. Kyle now has chunks of metal embedded in his arm and body. He's probably lost his hand, too.
If he's not dead, he's certainly dying.
~ Decisions I can't ever take back... ~
Lying on the soaking pavement, his blood mingling with the rain, Kyle closes his eyes, not that it matters. He cannot see anything now anyway.
~ ...I died a long time ago. Writing you was crazy.
But it was worth it... seeing you. One last time. ~
If he is not dead, he is comatose.
Kyle's fight is over.
The Stray Dog stares down, gritting his teeth at the body below. The tears are slowly forming on his eyes. "...No..." He growls, he tightens his lips, then he looks back at the building. "...There's a hospital nearby.... just need to get some resistance nearby...." The Stray Dog leaps off of the building, looking towards Kyle.
~ ...I can't let you die.... Not... not after getting this far. ~
He lowers his head, the Stray Dog kneels down next to Kyle's body. With tears forming in his eyes, the youth scoops his friend back up. "...You can't die on me... not now.... not after this long..."
The XO of the Resistance looks at Jiro, "We're ready."
"Whatever... do it. Just help me get to the hospital.... I can still save him.... at least keep him alive...."
With that, the Stray Dog runs off, the XO calling back, "Alright, few of you watch the kid's back. Rest of you, burn down the rest of the warehouse and run back to base!" And with that, the torches are burning against the building's structure. While the rain is pouring, it is starting to let up, which allows the flames to consume the wooden structure of the warehouse. Destruction, explosion, the produced goods that were not looted are being destroyed.
...The men are going back to base. Few of the Rebellion were killed, most were severely injured, but they got the loot of grenades and RPGs. So this can be called a victory for the resistance.
Jiro, meanwhile, heads to the hospital to get Kyle inside. He is followed by few of the resistance members, who nod at the youth.
~ ... I blamed myself ... ~
~ Kyle, Mimiru, Gedo. ~
~ I'm not going to put myself into the position of blaming myself again... I can at least do something now... ~
Across the ocean, many miles away, in a nice and cozy apartment in the northern outskirts of Southtown, a young man, hands coated in flour, suddenly pauses, draws his hands out of his mixing bowl, and slowly turns to glance up, out the window, at the morning sky, a slightly curious expression on his handsome features
You cannot always protect the ones you love.
But when you can...
A slow smile finally blooming, the tall youth turns back to his mixing bowl, apparently satisfied, and shakes his head once, cheerfully, as the smile grows into a grin.
...it's a beautiful day indeed.
Log created by Jiro, and last modified on 06:38:55 09/02/2005.