Description: Kain beats the crap out of Duke. Duke sees... opportunity?! READ INSIDE FOR MORE EXCITING REVELATIONS!!
Night time falls over Southtown in a slow, steady pace. It's the time of day when the sun has almost completed its sink past the horizon, but has not quite made it yet, illuminating the sky with hues of pinks and purples. Despite it being summertime, there is always a pleasant breeze here at Southtown's harbor. Near the shores as they are, the ocean winds whip in this evening in the form of a smooth, pleasant breeze. It'd a calming sort of evening -- but not necessarily uneventful.
The docks of Southtown's harbor, as of late, have been frequented by one man in particular. Usually here during the night times, when very few people grace the docks -- knowing full well what sort of activity goes on here -- Duke has been keeping himself busy with activities of his own. Obstensibly for the Syndicate, carrying in imports of both drugs, weapons -- and today? -- what he has been recently shipping in, artifacts from ancient temples in South America. Ostensibly, but Duke still takes care of his own business, here. These men all know who they work for, and Duke makes sure those delivering know who has been paying them such good money for this ancient garbage.
It helps having connections when you have an eye for the top tier.
For today, though, things are uneventful. As usual, Duke observes the simple back and forth actions of his crew as they lift large crates via forklifts into the carrying compartments of the moving trucks just nearby. He wipes his fingers upon his shirt listlessly as he watches, dark eyes looking particularly dulled. The boredom is something of a necessary evil -- he can bear with it, as long as he inevitably can reap the fruits of his labor. For now, he's wordless. His crew is doing a fast job, and if all goes well, they should be out of here before the sunlight is entirely snuffed out. Duke enjoys productivity most of all.
The Syndicate instills a great deal of loyalty in most of its members, through a combination of fear and money. But fear and money can be used against you, if your enemies can supply enough of both. Kain R. Heinlein has both in ample supply, although his contacts within the Syndicate tend to have a very short life expectancy. Still, they usually live long enough to let him learn something of interest, like the fact that there's a smuggling operations at the docks this evening. Kain may not be invited, but he's still going to get in on this party... Maybe he'll even pick up a piece or two for himself, if there's something easy enough to take back with him.
Kain's approach is, for the most part, quite stealthy. No one spots him before he reaches the docks, but that's as far as he feels this need to conceal his presence. He's aware that not all of the dock workers are willfully Syndicate minions, and although he wouldn't go out of his way to save them, he also gets little from their deaths... So he waits until he sees someone with a gun.
The first notice that most of the people on the docks get of Kain's presence comes a moment after the first person to meet him. The sign is that person's high pitched scream, followed by a body wrapped in black fire flying through the air and slamming wetly into one of the trucks. A moment later Kain himself can be seen, stepping out of the shadows with black fire licking from his fingertips. "Good evening, gentlemen."
There are different types of interlopers. There are the ones that are cause for a passing amusement, like the silver-haired 'cowboy' from the other day... and then there are ones like Kain R. Heinlein. A different breed of interference entirely from Soiree Meira, and that much is evident the second that blood-curdling scream reverborates throughout the docks, shocking many -- if not all -- into stopping their work. Its a scream of pain, and of eventually death, and it causes many of the workers to shudder... and then look downright /terrified/ as they see the wild, flailing approach of one of the guards, -on fire-. And not just any fire...
"... Black fire."
The words are uttered with a calm sort of recognition that's reflected in Duke's eyes as he sees the man run past. At first, there is muted disbelief, and then... realization. Especially at the voice that cuts through the air, and the easily recognizable form of Saturday Night Fight's former champion. Kain. One would have to be an idiot it they worked in the Syndicate and -didn't- know who Kain R. Heinlein was, and Duke is certainly no idiot. He recognizes the man immediately. But instead of terror, instead of worry and that icy sensation in the pit of one's stomach when they know they're about to die, Duke -- Duke feels opportunity.
It's not a sentiment his men feel. Several of them are already running as the lieutenant holds his ground, his right hand slipped into his pocket as he observes Kain with a thoughtful air. Unfortunately -- there's no telling who of the reamining workers fear or respect Duke more than Geese, so for now? Duke has to play the part of the loyal enforcer.
"Kain Heinlein," he utters the name distastefully, thick fingers roaming across the jagged scar on his neck in a subconscious act. "I assume you're not here to have a friendly chat, eh...?"
For most of the fleeing workers, the specifics of Kain's abilities are probably not particularly important. But if Duke has paid any attention to Kain's career on SNF, he might recall that the blond man has made frequent use of dark purple flames... but the fire currently fading out from his hands is most definitely jet black in color. Slipping his left hand into his pocket, Kain ceases to pay attention to the frightened gnats under Duke's command, focusing instead on the scarred man. "Indeed not."
Kain waves his right hand in the direction of one of the trucks, and a moment later it erupts in a fireball. Real fire, sparked from the introduction of a great deal of focused heat to the fumes within the vehicle's gas tank. "I think I'll take my time with the rest, just in case there's anything I'd like to take for myself. Unless you have a problem with that?"
Black flames. Not the violet ones that Duke has seen scorch so many people. So has something changed, then? The Southsynd lieutenant's mind is only allowed a scant few moments to mull over this possibility -- mainly due to the fact that Kain doesn't afford for much time beyond that before he starts to ignite Duke's truck. His head -jerks- to the side in the wake of the explosion, dark eyes watching with a sort of surprise as that truck is engulfed in flames -- and not of the chi variety.
There is a moment of silence on Duke's part as he watches Kain. There are some men who linger, prepared to aid Duke... but he raises a fist to them. "Get out of here. I'll take care of this." For a moment, the men are stunned by this brave act of self-sacrifice on Duke's part. They've never known him to be so selfless, after all. That stunned silence only lasts so long, though; soon enough, all of the men are simply high-tailing it out from this particular dock, running as fast as they can.
Of course, it's not selflessness that compells Duke to this. It's something else entirely. His gaze refocusing on Kain, Duke grins as he rolls his neck. "I have a small problem with that. See, these relics cost me a pretty penny... and I'm not in the habit of sharing." He doesn't linger to protect the Syndicate...
... he lingers because of curiosity.
"So how about you try to convince me otherwise?"
In that moment, Duke rushes in headlong, leaping through the air about halfway through his rushing motion. The intent is simple; to snap a single, massive foot into the side of Kain's face in one quick, sweeping jumpkick. "GRAAH!"
COMBATSYS: Duke has started a fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Duke 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Kain has joined the fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Duke 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kain
COMBATSYS: Kain blocks Duke's Light Kick.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Duke 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Kain
Kain's right arm swings up as Duke's leg sweeps in and the gangster's shin is stopped by a firmly set forearm. Kain's arm does bend slightly under the impact, but his guard holds. It's enough to tell him that Duke packs a decent punch, but not enough for him to be worried. "That was my intention."
Whatever Duke's original plans for landing where, they're going to have to be altered due to his leg not completing the intended swing. Kain, meanwhile, has both of his legs free. The next move is obvious. Kain's leg snaps up as Duke starts to come down, black flame engulfing the limb. The kick shoots up at a sharp angle, a large blast of fire exploding from Kain's foot upon impact.
COMBATSYS: Kain successfully hits Duke with Schwarze Lanze.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////// ]
Duke 0/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Kain
So, this Kain is everything Duke expected and more. Arrogant though the ambitious lieutenant may be, he's not a stupid man; he knows when he's clearly outclassed, and that time is just about right now. Still, he needs to see Kain's power first hand -- to know just how worth the risk Duke's plans following this will be.
And he gets proven the worth in a single blow. Kain /slams/ into him with such unbridled ferocirt, so quickly, that Duke can hardly believe it as those black flames burn at his dark skin. Brown eyes snap wide as a loud, "HURGH!" of pain bellows from his throat, just as that blast of fire sends him /rocketing/ backwards and SLAMMING into a nearby truck, denting in the metal in a most painful manner.
"... hmph." Grunting as he gets back onto his feet, Duke looks down at his burned clothes with a frown. Blood trails down his lip already, but... he's smiling. "Everything I imagined." One foot pushes off the ground, sending Duke in a straight line towards Kain. His right hand extends, to snap out and grasp the other man firmly by the face. And if he should...
COMBATSYS: Kain just-defends Duke's Treadmill!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Duke 0/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Kain
Kain makes a point to learn from his opponents. He doesn't blatantly copy specific techniques like some people do, but he may adjust some to suit his own needs. This is generally more common with chi attacks, but those aren't the only things he can figure out. All this is to say that Kain's reaction to the incoming Duke looks not unlike a less refined version of something that Geese might do. A few quick motions of Kain's hands and Duke continues merrily on his way, having been tossed right past Kain.
Heinlein might not be good enough to slam Duke into the ground with that same motion, but he's quite quick to follow it up. He reaches out for the airborne gangster, attempting to grasp him firmly by the head, then slam him into the ground. Kain's physical strength alone is probably only enough to put a few cracks in the concrete, but the explosion of black fire that erupts from his hand is more than enough to damage the ground, let alone Duke's head.
COMBATSYS: Kain successfully hits Duke with Medium Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Duke 1/---====/=======|===----\-------\0 Kain
Even further outclassed than he thought, Duke finds himself on the receiving end of what seems to be one of -Geese's- defensive techniques, and a rueful smile slips past his lips at the thought. Still, though, he has other things to deal with; mainly, the fact that he is now the subject of a headgrabbing of his own. Not quick enough to twist about and block it before it can connect, the blow instead comes clean and down Duke crashes, complete with another explosion of that dark flame that sears so painfully across his head. Ow.
Still, Duke hardly seeks to try and halt the fight; instead, he attempts to knock away Kain's hand with a somewhat incoherent snarl, his right hand slamming FORWARD as he leaps back onto his feet. The play through makes it come off as a single, brutal haymaker, carrying with it enough force to simply /floor/ Kain if it should connect cleanly. If it does...
COMBATSYS: Kain blocks Duke's Volcanic Bomb.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Duke 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Kain
It winds up not being enough to floor Kain, but it is enough to drive him back. Duke's fist slams into a pair of quickly raised forearms, causing Kain to slide back several feet before finally coming to a halt and lowering his arms. "Come now. Is being Geese's dog really worth so much to you?" It wouldn't be the first time Kain has derided someone's allegiance to Geese, although in this case it might be a bit more effective than most...
Kain doesn't just wait around to see if Duke is going to turn tail and run, however. Until he actually /does/, this fight is still ongoing. Kain slides his right foot out slightly to the side, then suddenly pivots about on his left leg, ducking low. As he completes a full turn he suddenly leaps forward with a wave of black flame trailing his foot as he attempts to drive an exploding kick into the center of Duke's torso.
COMBATSYS: Kain successfully hits Duke with Schwarzer Stob.
[ \\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////////// ]
Duke 1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\0 Kain
This is not going well. Alternatively... this is going extraordinarily well. At Kain's words, though, Duke pauses in the midst of that brutal haymaker, staring at him curiously -- before a smile splits the enforcer's lips. "... Who said this has anything to do with Geese?" But Duke has other problems to worry about -- mainly, the fact that Kain is currently aiming to jumpkick him with great brutality. Though Duke tries to square himself to take the blow, it doesn't really work -- that foot lances in, crushing into his chest before black flames burn at the same time. It sends him flying backwards, but as he soars through the air, he reorients himself to land easily on his feet... though slightly crouched, and breathing far more heavily than before.
"Though, I guess this does have to do with Geese... doesn't it...? But I don't have any interest in being his dog." As Duke speaks, he lifts his hands up high above him, clasping them into a hammer -- of sorts.
"All this is just a stepping stone."
His arms swing down, carrying with them mighty force as Duke literally hammerblows the floor. Only a split-second later does the ground literally /explode/ into a sudden furnace of power, an inferno of fiery chi erupting from the ground in a straight path that beelines straight for Kain, which will explode in a somewhat painful mess if it should reach him.
"I just... want to see HOW STRONG YOU ARE. GRAAAAAAGH!!"
COMBATSYS: Duke successfully hits Kain with Sledgehammer.
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Duke 0/-------/-------|=======\=------\1 Kain
Black flame begins to rise up around Kain as the blast comes racing toward him, but he's not quick enough to react to it. The explosion engulfs Heinlein, launching him into the air and sending him sailing back. He's still got a handle on things, though, twisting around in mid-air so that he hits the ground on his feet. His clothes are smoking slightly, but he stills seems in remarkably good shape for having taken a clean hit from an attack of that caliber.
Good enough shape to rush right back in, too. Kain's right arm draws back as he closes the ground between himself and Duke, an aura of blue chi swirling around his clenched fist. He ducks down slightly as he nears his target, then lashes out and up with a punch aimed to hit Duke just below the ribcage and at an upward angle.
COMBATSYS: Duke endures Kain's Medium Punch.
[ \\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Duke 0/-------/--=====|=======\=------\1 Kain
Well, Kain certainly can take a hit pretty well, can't he? Duke is honestly impressed. The large man is smoking, flesh charred, blood running down his mouth and Kain still seems hardly worse for wear from the entire ordeal. He's skilled, and it makes Duke grin. "No -- I'm not fighting you to defend Geese's honor. I wanted to see..." And there Kain comes again, and even with the attack that proceeded it, the Heinlein heir moves so /fast./ It's almost unbelievable, if Duke hadn't already experienced it many times before. However...
... As Kain rushes forward, so does Duke. His right hand clenching easily into a fist, he reels it back as he runs forward. Kain's glowing hand punches into him, but he manages /not/ to get launched off his feet -- the pain is great, but not nearly as much as some of this man's other blows. Powering through the pain, Duke seeks to deliver an upward punch of his own -- a vicious uppercut aimed just underneath Kain's jaw to launch him into the air. Duke will follow afterwards, images of himself trailing in the wake of his movements before he seeks to deliver a second uppercut... right into Kain's ribcage, just as he did Duke. "... if you're worth the risk of doing business with. GRAAAGH!!"
COMBATSYS: Duke can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Kain 1/-----==/=======|
COMBATSYS: Duke successfully hits Kain with Tall Hammer.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Kain 1/---====/=======|
Kain may be able to take a hit, but he's still only human. When Duke's fist slams into his jaw his head gets knocked back, and he finds himself launched up and off his feet. Then the second blow knocks the wind out of him and lifts him even higher, sending him sailing away from the gangster. Once again, however, he manages to twist about in the air, though his landing is a bit less smooth this time.
This time, though, Kain doesn't move back in to continue the fight. "Business, you say?" It would seem that all of the grunts have vacated the scene. It wasn't something Kain paid much attention to when it happened, but it seems that perhaps it was not out of the, ha, kindness of his heart that Duke sent them all out of harm's way.
COMBATSYS: Kain has ended the fight here.
That's it for Duke. It's clear at this point he's exhausted his limits in this quick but -- for him -- rather brutal fight. He wobbles a little on his feet for a long, silent moment, before he collapses onto his knees, breathing heavily as he touches a hand to his scar. "Hmph," he grunts out, his bloodied lips splitting into an amused grin. "You're -- hah -- just as strong as I hoped."
The panting begins to subside after a moment, and as Duke catches his breath, he slowly drags himself back onto his feet. Rolling his neck, he looks towards Kain as the man questions. Dark eyes sweep about, confirming the lack of Duke's thugs present, before offering a nod. "Business. Regarding a person we'd both like to see out of the picture. I'm sure you know who I'm talking about..." Duke's eyes trail back towards the trucks, and the crates that were being loaded into them. "... Geese Howard. I'm interested in offering my services -- to kick him out of that high throne he's set up for himself." Duke's reasons for this are his own, of course -- but no doubt they're for some self-serving purpose. But then, what isn't?
Kain likes slightly skeptical, and for good reason. There's plenty of reason to believe that this is a trap. But then... it could also be a wonderful opportunity. "Really now?" Of course, if Duke /is/ telling the truth, it's pretty obvious what his goal is likely to be. But Kain can deal with that when the time comes, if necessary. "Yes, I think we might be able to do some business. Though if Geese is to be kept from finding out our interactions in that regard will have to be limited... But I'm sure you're aware that the time to depose Geese is not yet ripe. He's a very dangerous man."
That's an understatement, really. But the more people attempting to do Geese in, the greater the likelihood that his downfall will arrive sooner rather than later. And Duke and Kain aren't the only ones who have designs on Geese... Kain is personally aware of several others. "I'll give you a chance to prove just how useful your services are... when the time is right. You'll be of no use at all if Geese decides to kill you, after all." And Kain's got plenty of contacts... Getting into touch with Duke through a secure means should not be a problem.
It could very well be a trap. Duke gives no reason to suspect otherwise -- nor does he give any reason to believe it -is- a trap, his employment aside. Kain's words garner a calm smile on Duke's part as he straightens out his burned clothes, dark gaze rotating back towards where the Heinlein heir stands. "Delighted to hear that. Of course -- if Geese wasn't a very dangerous man, I wouldn't be extending this offer of help towards you, now would I?" The question in and of itself can have so many meanings. The most likely? If Geese wasn't so terrifyingly strong, so influential, and so -powerful- in general, Duke would have taken care of this job himself. Unfortunate that he has to rely on others, but then--
--That's what it takes to get to the top.
This entire encounter has proven to Duke, though, that he needs to grow stronger. Kain's skil and power aside, the lieutenant has much more growth to be making in his own strength before he can rightfully take claim to the syndicate. And so, Duke merely inclines his head to Kain at his words, his smile fading to a calm look. "Then I'll be waiting for the call. Don't worry; I'm still a loyal member of the Syndicate." As he says this, Duke turns, and begins to slowly walk away from the docks.
"I can't help it if some rampaging lunatic beat me nearly to death and took some of my cargo though, now can I...? I'm only human."
Speaking of cargo... This night seems to have already been rather profitable for Kain, but why not make it more so? One of the trucks is almost completely loaded, so it's just the work of a few moments to close the rear doors and get the engine started up. And then as Kain drives the truck away it takes only a minor effort to blast apart the remaining vehicles. The fewer artifacts there are, the greater the value of the ones he has, right?
Log created on 16:52:43 06/24/2007 by Duke, and last modified on 11:25:26 07/22/2007.