Description: Kain and Igniz meet at Heinlein's mansion to discuss the possibility of future cooperation between Kain and the NESTS cartel. The two men also finally test their powers against one another, and Kain demonstrates just how much he has to offer.
The Heinlein estate is a large parcel of land, much of it covered in woods. But in the center of the clear section of the land lies the family home, a large and imposing mansion. A mansion with a surprisingly small number of staff members. The reason may become apparent to one with sharp eyes, however. Everyone, even the maid who was dusting as Igniz was escorted in, moves with the controlled grace of a professional soldier, even if they otherwise appear to be simple cleaning staff or the like.
The study where Kain receives Igniz is a large room, with two walls covered by massive bookcases. The subjects are varied; history, military theory, psychology, occultism, economics... A number of the books are rather old and expensive editions, as well. The wall across from the door has a large window which looks out over the grounds, and beneath that is a well stocked bar. The center of the room has four comfortable chairs arranged around a central table. Kain gestures toward one of these as he greets Igniz upon his arrival, first extending an arm to shake hands with the other man. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Please, have a seat. Can I get you anything to drink?"
Igniz is clad in his customary black robe, though his hood is thrown back, revealing his features. He has nothing to hide here. The motions of the staff are noted, Igniz's keen, analytical gaze missing little. The study's rich furnishings are also noted, the leader of NESTS smiling faintly to himself. It almost reminds him of his own private study, far from here. However, he is here to see Kain, not look at his stuff. Igniz takes Kain's hand warmly, nodding. "The pleasure is mutual, Mr. Heinlein. You have quite the reputation. My associates have spoken highly of you." He sits down in one of the proffered chairs, and shakes his head slightly. "Thank you, but no, I am fine." His gaze goes once more to the arrayed books. "Your library is impressive. It is a good thing to be well-rounded in this day and age."
Kain also forgoes a drink, instead settling into a chair directly across from Igniz a few moments after the other man sits down. "Ah, thank you. Some of the volumes were left to me by my parents, but the majority of the collection consists of my own acquisitions. I oversaw my own education, with some assistance, and I was determined to have a diverse curriculum." Something which has paid off quite well for Heinlein.
"But enough about that... I'm sure you have some business you wish to discuss with me. It's been some time since I was last in contact with your organization, but I have been rather busy, and I'm sure you and your people have had much to keep your time occupied."
"Of course." Igniz replies, steepleing his fingers before him on the arms of the chair. He looks quite at ease in these surroundings. "My organization has been having a tumultous time. We make a move, the others make countermoves. There are always people who would be opposed to an essential and necessary change to the system. One would think they they could try to prevent the tide or stop the sun." He chuckles at that. "But still, progress is always being made. Even if it is by necessity slow."
Igniz gestures slightly, and leans forward a bit. "I wanted to meet with you for various reasons. Lately, I have been looking to the future by performing examinations of the many schools in the area. There are a disturbing number of young, talented fighters here. We like to pay attention to the progress of various facets of humanity, as you well know, and those people who fall outside the expected norm are typically worth watching. You, of course, are one of these exceptional people, but that is naturally a given. Do you know why we look for those who are exceptionally talented and unusual?"
While Igniz talks, Kain maintains eye contact and listens. Many find Kain to have a rather piercing gaze, and they're right... But more than they know. Kain's ability to ferret out a person's emotions simply by looking at their eyes is one he keeps a rather close secret, for obvious reasons. It's not mind reading, but it has, among other uses, proved useful for determining when someone is lying. It would be rather less useful in that regard if people actually knew about it, and could prepare themselves for it.
Thus far, nothing has happened to raise any suspicions in Kain, though he is of course quite sure that Igniz has his own, personal agenda. Who doesn't? Nodding his head briefly, Heinlein speaks. "I'm well aware of the number of promising youths in Southtown, yes. Some of them are, unfortunately, likely to be dead ends, and not get much stronger than they currently are. Others, however, have quite a bit of potential. As for why /you/ are interested in them... Well, I'd presume that you'd want to discover just how much of their power comes from the genetic level." Kain smiles for a moment. "And, perhaps, make better use of that power than some of the less motivated individuals."
Igniz matches Kain's gaze, and what Kain can read of Igniz's emotions show that the leader of NESTS, so far, completely believes everything he is saying. He also appears to have a measure of respect for Kain, though a bit of him seems... distracted... for some reason.
Igniz nods to Kain. "You are precisely correct. Our organization seeks to unlock the secrets of the nature of human power, allowing those who are deserving to attain their true potential. How much of a man's strength comes from their genetics? Their beliefs and philosophies? Their training? The sheer willpower and drive to succeed? I seek out the answers to these questions, and believe I have been reasonably successful so far." Being a little modest, Igniz? "With this knowledge, those who are deserving will usher in a new age." He smiles.
"Indeed. I personally believe that genetics is not the most limiting factor when it comes to achieving power... But it is certainly a large component. And in some cases it can provide some rather impressive advantages." Too bad people like Kyo Kusanagi have to go and waste those advantages by being lazy jackasses.
"True strength doesn't rely merely on the abilities one is born with... But there is also no shame in having an advantage from birth. A man is still a man, regardless of how he was created... It is the mind that makes one human. And so I have no objections to your basic premise, of bringing humanity to a new level. It suits my own goals for the improvement of mankind, though through methods that are not available to one such as myself."
"We seem to be of similar minds on this." Igniz replies. He would agree on Kyo, though. Igniz has done more to try to figure out the nature of the Kusanagi's inherited power than Kyo ever has. "I'm glad we can agree on this. Why would a human with the eyes to see and the power to change things ignore such a call?" He chuckles. "This is why I had hoped to meet you. We both have similar goals, and I believe that we could work quite well with each other. Perhaps mutual assistance with out goals would be possible. I am sure the desired shape of the world we wish to see in the end are compatible." Mostly.
Mostly. Kain doesn't have any desire to rule the world, except in so far as it might be necessary for a time in order to accomplish his goals. Or at least, that's what he tells himself. However, he also has no desire to see someone /else/ in the position of ruler/god/what have you. But discovering Igniz's true goals is well beyond what Kain can discover simply by looking the other man in the eye.
"I sincerely hope so. And I would be happy to put in effort toward achieving that goal. At the moment, however, I must admit to some curiosity about your work. I have seen some of your biological and general technological work, but I have seen that you also work with the manipulation of chi through technology, and I'm rather intrigued by this. I've seen what your subordinate, Zero, is capable of." It's impressive, in its own way. Grant doesn't really approve of such things, but Kain has an appreciation for what the mind can accomplish to aide the body through means other than intensive training. And if Kain could find some way to further enhance his own formidable abilities... Well, the results might well be impressive, to say the least.
Igniz's smile widens slightly. "There are some procedures that we have discovered in that respect. Zero is an excellent example what we can accomplish... After all, what is the point of performing this research if it cannot be applied? I, too, have taken advantage of the fruits of our labors. After all, one must have the power to make their goals come to pass."
Kain nods in agreement with Igniz's point. "Very true. And I would certainly have expected you to take advantage of your own work. It would be foolish not to." Of course, Kain was already well aware of that... He can sense the power surrounding Igniz quite clearly at a range as short as this. Of course, raw power means little if you can't control it properly, and so the question is just how well NESTS technology has conquered that problem.
"Would you perhaps mind giving a demonstration? I have plenty of room outside setup for such things, and far enough away from the house that one doesn't need to worry about holding back on some of the more... impressive displays of chi manipulation." Like those Kain himself often makes use of.
Igniz keeps his chi tightly controlled when he's not in fighting mode. It's like holding the wind in your fist. It is easily sensed, but there's still a core of iron control about him that shows that there is far more. Kain is perceptive in the ways of chi indeed... But that is of little surprise. Igniz rises from his seat, and gives a short nod. "I would be glad to." It's been a while since he's had a real chance to cut loose, though M. Bison proved to be an irritatingly formidible opponent for him.
Kain stands up from his own chair, making his way over to the door. He steps out into the hall, waits a moment for Igniz to follow, then makes his way through the mansion toward a door opening up from the back of the building. A short distance from the house is a circle of sand surrounded by stones, but Kain continues on past that. It's still a bit too close for what Kain expects from this match.
He continues further away, getting closer to the tree line than to the house. Eventually he reaches a wide circle of scorched earth, without even grass growing in the center of it. "This should be sufficient... Any damage done here is easily repaired with a backhoe." He turns to face Igniz then, smiling at his guest. "Of course, a simple display of chi doesn't give the full picture of one's abilities... Would you care to spar? I find the heat of battle is one of the best ways to bring out a person's /real/ talents."
Igniz follows politely, moving along with Kain. He shows no reaction to the sparring ring... But his eyes narrow slightly at the wide blast radius of scorched earth. Mentally, he quickly shifts gears, and looks to Kain. "Of course. I am certainly amenable to this. I haven't had a chance to truly practice in some time. It doesn't usually... pay... to engage in the full range of one's abilities in public." The NESTS leader walks over to a point within the circle, and then slowly relaxes his hold upon his chi.
The waves of force explode outwards, whipping about him like a gale wind. His robes flutter and swirl in the force, concealing and moving oddly, making his motions difficult to predict... And he even lifts a short distance from the ground, stretching his arms outwards. It's an impressive sight... But he is not going to underestimate Kain for a moment. He does, however, wait for Kain to get into position before he begins. "I am prepared. This should prove to be... most enjoyable."
COMBATSYS: Igniz has started a fight here.
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Igniz 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Kain has joined the fight here.
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Kain 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Igniz
Kain's own aura was long ago tamed to the point where he hardly requires any effort at all to summon or suppress his chi at will. Thus there's little immediate difference in the energy radiating from him even as he moves within the circle and mentally prepares himself for the fight ahead.
The stance Heinlein assumes is deceptively casual, left hand slipped lightly into his pants pocket, while his right hand is allowed to hang at his side. For a moment, at least. Then Kain raises his right arm, and purple flames spring into being around his hand. "Indeed... I am greatly looking forward to seeing just what scientific progress you have made." And it doesn't hurt to get an idea for Igniz's strengths and limitations, either. Not that Kain has any specific plans to betray NESTS... but it always pays to be prepared.
"Shall we?" And with that, Kain whips his right arm toward Igniz, making a flicking motion with his wrist. The flame around his hand leaps forth, shooting toward Igniz like a small purple comet.
COMBATSYS: Igniz reflects Schwarze Flame from Kain with Nega Genesis.
- Power hit! -
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Kain 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Igniz
It's not so much 'effort', as 'not wanting to shred his robe from letting it all go at once'. Sure, he'd keep his battlesuit underneath, but he LIKES this robe. Igniz watches Kain flick the flaming purple comet of chi towards him with narrowed eyes, and with a twisting motion, pulls his own chi inwards, twisting the flows into a dark mirror of energy which he interposes in the path of the flame. The energy is caught, subsumed into the coruscating energy pattern Igniz wove, and it explodes backwards, searing with grey-white light as it is sent flying back towards Kain. "Let's." Igniz replies serenely.
COMBATSYS: Kain blocks Igniz's Reflected Schwarze Flame.
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Kain 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Igniz
Well, Kain didn't expect to break through Igniz's defenses quite /that/ easily. Still, it's good to probe your opponent before rushing in and committing yourself to what could be a very painful assault. With the fireball leading the way, Kain begins to close in on Igniz, dashing over the ground between them with impressive speed. He doesn't bat an eye when his attack is reflected back at him, instead sweeping out his right arm to slam the back of his fist into the ball of flame, blue chi flaring up around his hand as defense against the ensuing explosion.
Kain follows through on the swing with his entire body, spinning around even as he takes the last few steps toward Igniz. Halfway through the rotation his entire arm bursts into flame, leaving a trail of purple fire behind it which expands rapidly as Kain finishes his spin. He doesn't actually attempt to strike Igniz with his arm, just to get close enough for the leader of NESTS to be caught in that inferno.
COMBATSYS: Igniz dodges Kain's Schwarz Cutter.
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Kain 0/-------/------=|==-----\-------\0 Igniz
Igniz, once again, seems to take no actual precaution against attack until he sees Kain's vector of assault. The inferno approaches, Kain's lashing blasts searing towards him, when he blurs out of the way, the fire immolating his former position. He continues his motion, sweeping in and lashing out at his opponent with his hands, gasping for his body and redirecting that motion, that kinetic force into flipping Kain past him and into a handy nearby tree. "Your chi manipulation abilities are impressive." He mentions.
COMBATSYS: Kain dodges Igniz's Medium Throw.
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Kain 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Igniz
Kain doesn't stop his rotation upon reaching the point where Igniz would have been engulfed by the flames. He continues to spin, even as the fire along his arm is snuffed out, only coming to a stop once he's whirled out of Igniz's retaliatory grasp. He then quickly plants a foot, bringing himself to a halt before pushing himself back to face his opponent head-on.
Turnabout is fair play, as they say, and Kain attempts to grab Igniz by the arm before the other man can recover himself. If he succeeds, he proceeds to yank Igniz forward, but doesn't rely soley on that momentum to send his opponent flying. A burst of blue energy erupts from Kain's hand as he releases his hold, serving as further propulsion.
COMBATSYS: Kain successfully hits Igniz with Medium Throw.
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Kain 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Igniz
Turnabout is indeed fair play. Igniz is grabbed and sent flying, blue chi searing at the NESTS leader as he is sent smashing into the ground with a grunt. He only remains there for a moment, before he rolls back to he feet and floats upwards again. He says nothing, but he gives Kain a nod, before he launches towards Kain, his cape lashing out as if it has its own mind, striking dozens of times before it lashes out and grips at Kain, exploding upwards with a burst of illuminating chi.
COMBATSYS: Kain blocks Igniz's Cape Sweep.
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Kain 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Igniz
A sweep of Kain's arm serves to knock the cape off target, preventing the blows from reaching Kain's body. Kain's arm is snared, but he's prepared for it, and a shift of his stance keeps it from being able to do much to move him. The blast of chi is met with a flare up of Kain's own blue energy, shielding much of the blow.
But Kain doesn't just sit there and let the energy wash over him. While he's fending off Igniz's attack, he shifts his stance once again so that he can continue with one of his own. His left leg snaps up and then out, chi surrounding Kain's foot as he attempts to drive it into the pit of Igniz's stomach.
COMBATSYS: Kain successfully hits Igniz with Medium Kick.
- Power hit! -
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Kain 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Igniz
Igniz attempts to work his way around the assault, but the kick plows into his stomach, folding him over nicely as the hit shatters chunks of his armor off of his body, as well as sending him flying backwards into a tree. He impacts, grunting, as he brings a hand to the wound. He needs to do better than this. He's supposed to be better than this... He clenches his teeth, and rushes forward once again. He isn't done yet. With a leap, Igniz sweeps down towards Kain, and robe and hands grip, attempting to invert his opponent and drive him into the ground with a powerful crushing maneuver.
COMBATSYS: Kain dodges Igniz's Red Noah.
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Kain 0/-------/----===|=======\-------\0 Igniz
While Igniz may seem to be having some trouble getting a clean hit in, Kain isn't underestimating his opponent. He's a fairly good judge of strength, and he knows that if Igniz manages to get through his defenses, he's going to be in some trouble. The trick is in not allowing that to happen.
When Igniz reaches out for him, Kain makes a quick leap backwards, dropping into a crouch a short distance out of the NESTS leader's range. As soon as the grab misses, though, Kain is leaping back in, not intending to give Igniz time to recover. He plants his left foot and then swings his right leg up at a sharp angle, purple fire trailing behind his leg as he attempts to drive his foot into Igniz's jaw and launch him into the air with explosive power.
COMBATSYS: Igniz fails to reflect Schwarze Lanze from Kain with Nega Genesis.
- Power fail! -
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Kain 0/-------/--=====|=======\===----\1 Igniz
Today... is not Igniz's day. With a crackle of chi, Igniz attempts to duplicate his earlier attempt to turn Kain's chi against him. However, Kain is too fast, too strong at this moment, as he shatteres the chi field, slamming him high into the air with a sickening crunch. Igniz spirals through the sky, explosively, before managing to twist and land some distance away across the clearing, on one knee. Blood seeps from his wounds, the NESTS leader saying nothing, though the incredible rage he possesses is evidence in his face and his eyes. It's odd, but it seems that Igniz is as angry at /himself/ as he is with Kain. Perhaps Igniz is disappointed in his own performance tonight. Kain seems to be outclassing him at every turn, and there is nothing he can apparently do about it.
Wait... Maybe there is something. But not yet.
Rage... is something Kain is very familiar with. But he keeps his own anger and hate under very tight reins, turning them into assets rather than liabilities. Of course, losing your temper in a fight doesn't always go in your opponent's favor. Sometimes raw power can outweigh possible mistakes.
But even if Igniz is angry now, Kain doesn't believe the man will hold /too/ much of a grudge. If he wants a rematch at some later date, so much the better. Kain has no qualms with that. But right now... The fight isn't over yet. And Kain isn't about to ease up. Running toward his rising opponent, Kain leaps into the air and lashes out with a quick, sweeping kick aimed at the side of the other man's head, aiming to drive a burning foot into him.
COMBATSYS: Igniz interrupts Light Kick from Kain with Brutal God Project.
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Kain 1/----===/=======|=------\-------\0 Igniz
Igniz staggers to his feet as Kain rushes towards him, taking the burning kick to his side with a low groan. It's simply another note in the symphony of pain he is experiencing, though he only shows the most extreme signs of it on his expression. Igniz, too, knows the value of rage. In that singular moment where the kick lands, where Kain is most open and extended, is when Igniz strikes, unleashing his rage the brutality hidden beneath the veneer of civility he possesses. With a thundercrack of chi, Igniz slams forward, ramming his hand into Kain's and driving him back across the clearing until he slams into a tree, which shatters under the impact. Darting backwards, he whips his arm outwards, a bladed whip rattling from his armor to slice upwards into Kain, drawing him close with the cruel implement. Without sparing him a moment, his cape strikes out a multitude of times, wearing his opponent down. As he attacks, he speaks. "As you wished..." His cape billows open, a blazing shockwave of piercing bolts of chi racing outwards and shredding the space before it. "It is over..."
But that is not the end. Summoning up his power, his anger, his rage, Ignis reaches upwards, summoning forth a massive sphere of deadly gray-white chi energy as large as he is... And slams it down upon Kain. "I NOW CAST YOU FROM HEAVEN!"
The next few moments are a painful blur for Kain. Even his quick reaction times can't keep up with Igniz after getting slammed into that tree. Finally he's left on his knees, just barely managing to keep himself lifted up off the ground with one arm. Bloody tears can be found all over his clothing, and a trickle of blood runs down the side of Kain's face from a wound on his scalp. And Kain... is smiling. "Quite... impressive..."
But if Igniz was wondering where the scorch marks on the ground here came from, he's about to find out. Kain rises to his feet, a spark of golden light appearing in his hand as he reaches up toward the sky. His entire hand glows golden as he clenches his fist, then sweeps downward to thrust his hand toward the ground. For a brief moment it seems nothing is happening... But then if one looks up, the sky above the two men is a pulsing field of blue energy. And then it comes crashing down, one massive pillar of raw energy slamming into the ground, and anything unlucky enough to be in its way... Except for Kain, around whom the energy parts, leaving even the dirt directly beneath his feet unscathed.
COMBATSYS: Igniz fails to reflect Himmlischer Atem from Kain with Nega Genesis.
- Power fail! -
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Kain 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Igniz can no longer fight.
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Kain 0/-------/-------|
In retrospect, Igniz can take solace that he at least bloodied his opponent. He also makes a mental note to redouble his training. This, however, is of little importance to the NESTS Cartel leader at the moment, as Kain reveals that he has the equivalent of a chi spacelaser on hand. Igniz looks up at the sky, and summons up all he can to divert the incoming destruction.
It's not even close to enough. the consuming blast of chi rushes downwards, obliterating the area around Igniz, and the NESTS leader himself is blasted to the ground, bloody and raw, clearly unable to fight any longer. He lies there, silent and breathing quickly for a minute, before speaking. "A very... valuable lesson."
Kain lets out his breath in a long exhalation. Even for him, summoning up that much chi takes some effort. Not to mention that he did definitely feel Igniz's attack. Still, he's far more mobile than Igniz, and it's clear who the winner of this match is. Kain allows his defenses to drop slightly, calming down to a less combat ready state. "Your technology is impressive, but that alone is not enough. However, I'd wager that now that you've seen me fight, you'll be better prepared next time, and more aware of what to expect." That /is/ the downside to fighting powerful opponents... Kain can learn to predict them more accurately, but the same is true the other way around. And Kain doesn't sound particularly arrogant when he says this. He's simply stating a fact. And it does seem to mean that he realizes that wasn't the full extent of Igniz's power.
COMBATSYS: Kain has ended the fight here.
"I had erred." That seems to be a powerful admission from the prideful leader. Slowly, he stands, getting to his feet, an incredible task in itself given the assault he took would have killed many lesser men instantly. "We have learned much about each other. I look forward to our next meeting." Igniz's shredded robe hangs about him loosely, not hiding the grevious wounds he has received. "In the meantime, I will ensure that I have trained appropriately to give you a more impressive demonstration."
At least Igniz is not foolish enough to take his irritation at his performance out on his subordinates. That's just tactless.
Kain nods, having expected nothing less from the NESTS leader. "I look forward to it. And I look forward to working together with you toward are mutual goal. Our combined resources should be quite formidable." To say the least. Heinlein doesn't bother to ask Igniz if he's sustained any serious injuries, or needs medical treatment. If he /does/, well, NESTS is much better equipped to deal with that kind of thing than pretty much anybody else.
Igniz nods, and gives a short bow of respect to the man who had mastered him for the evening. He certainly deserves that much. "Excellent. Our agents will be in touch with you with further information." Igniz does not show any signs of dropping dead, at least. "Now, I should probably take my leave. Thank you for your hospitality."
Log created on 17:08:39 05/19/2007 by Kain, and last modified on 09:37:41 06/04/2007.