Description: The tyrant of "R" still has business to conclude in Thailand and it would have gone off without a hitch were it not for a transgression from his past catching up with him...
Just because the immediate threat is gone doesn't mean that all is well within the borders of Thailand. Even with the fall of Shadaloo there was much rebuilding to be done within the wartorn country. Powerful warriors from around the world came to help win the fight - but when there was no more battle to be had most of them went back to their home countries, perhaps glad to be out of the steaming hot jungles of the reclaimed nation.
But that doesn't mean all who had an interest in the country have vacated it entirely. There are those who had made investments that were set to pay off long past the reorganization that was to follow in the wake of the war. Government offices would need to be filled once again, some of their previous occupants perhaps having fallen in battle or succumbed to the respite of death within the vile depths of the Shadaloo prisons. This would naturally lead to ambitions men vying for those now vacant seats within the government. Usually the politics were kept civil, but at times they had a way of becoming... less than pleasant.
One such aspiring individual is just now sealing his deal with the devil. The room itself is mostly intact. Located within a bombed out building that hasn't seen power for weeks the only light that enters the brick-walled room is that which peeks in from the crackes in the ceiling or floods in from the solitary, empty window with only shards of broken glass nearby to suggest that it once actually had a real pane in it.
The short, slightly rotound Thailand politico-to-be is dwarfed by the tall, red suited German crimelord that stands in front of him in the dusty room. "Of course, of course," the deep voice of Rugal cajoles the nervous little man. "I kept my word with the weapons. Your resistance was successful. And your opponent for the seat you seek will not be an issue for much longer. You will have your power. And all you have to do is remember who got you there... And who knows, maybe you won't have to stop at merely having oversight over the ports for long." The tyrant of "R" chuckles as the soon-to-be Director of Border Security nods eagerly, rubbing his sweaty hands together with anticipation. Manipulating simpletons like this is still amusing even after all these years.
Of course, it goes without saying that the now restoredPrime Minister might be worried that something exactly like this might happen. He might even go so far as to hire individuals to counteract it preemptively...
Though Thailand may be for all intents and purposes "free," there is still a great deal of work to be done. Now is the time when the country is vulnerable, when men and women alike must carefully pick up the pieces felled and stack them neatly together again - at least as neatly as possible. There are still a considerable number of threats plaguing the country, most of which need to be dealt with in far less overt and more discreet a fashion.
Here, in the last remains of Shadaloo's corruption, brute force is not needed. Here, a far more covert touch is needed, to handle the political issues that need a bit of "physical coercion" to be efficiently handled. While Thailand is healing and rebuilding its fractured state, the Ikari Warriors are needed as political positions are refilled, in hopes of preventing more unnecessary bloodshed.
However, to prevent the loss of innocents, a little blood may need to be spilt.
By order of the restored Prime Minister of Thailand, the Ikari were given a very sensitive order. Opposition was rising against him, making deals with "powerful men" of seedy organizations to achieve an edge over the current man in office. This could prove to be a particularly bad setup; so, to remedy this potential problem, the order was simple: find this man, expose him, as well as the organization he had been making deals with.
Lethal force was an option, but potentially unnecessary.
Considering the "powerful" organizations across the globe, Heidern chose to take this order up on his own. Few of the Ikari were noted of his departure, but mostly the one-eyed soldier chose to go about this alone, without aid, save for the radio strapped at his hip to the belt secured around his uniform. Setting out, the Ikari Commander made his departure after receiving word from an informant that the politico-to-be was making deals.
In the war-ravaged town, Heidern has positioned himself outside the bullet-riddled building, that single, keen blue eye watching the doorway in the distance between himself and said structure. It's not a great distance, but it's enough to give him a slight vantage point while keeping close enough to watch with his naked eye. Slung over his shoulder is a PSG-1. It's all he needs, should he have to resort to weaponry.
In the blazing sun, the olive-uniform clad soldier watches the building, waiting for the first signs of life to emerge, to accomplish two things. One, to gauge who is with the man in question and two...whether or not he'll have to resort to "lethal force."
His patience is infinite.
Fortunately, the infinite patience of Heidern wouldn't have to be tested this late afternoon. Within the building a slip of white paper is handed off to the crimelord by the smaller man. A time and an address. A scheduled stop in the itinerary of the ambitious politician's opponent. The moment that he would be taken down in an assassination orchestrated by "R". Rugal glanced at briefly before folding it over once and slipping it into a suit coat pocket. Even that cursory inspection was more than sufficient to memorize the data. But holding onto the handwritten note will be important in case blackmail becomes necessary down the line. Just another tool of the trade.
"Well then," Rugal chuckles before taking a step to the side, allowing the shorter native to move away from the wall where he had been effectively 'trapped' throughout the duration of the exchange. With a sigh of relief, the desperate hack wipes his arm across his brow and makes his way toward the blown out door into the open street. Glancing back and forth with a novice's level of wariness, he begins to make his way down an alley, intent on slipping out of sight. And for the longest time no one else comes out of the building...
But eventually someone else follows. Having to duck just a little to step through the short entryway, Rugal Bernstein steps out onto the street. One hand finishes a phone from an inner suit pocket and flips it open. A single button is pushed and the device becomes active. "It's time," the blond German utters into the phone before flipping it closed with a snap and sliding it back into his pocket.
He need only wait now. The building is on the edge of the town it occupies and not too far off is a small clearing large enough to accommodate an easy pickup from a chopper perhaps. Bernstein's right hand begins to fondle the end of the black scarf that hangs open around his neck as he idly scans the horizon over the bordering thick jungle. The faintest traces of perspiration are visible where his hair meets his skin. Even conniving, self-proclaimed gods among men aren't immune to intense heat and humidity and the suit is probably not helping with that a whole lot. Just a few more stops to make. A few more deals to cinch. Then he can be done with this place for some time.
Perched atop the opposite building's rooftop, the weathered soldier watches, his gaze never once drifting. Patient and sharp, he passes the time only by shifting his weight and the rifle in hand, or simply to wipe a gloved hand across his brow. His work here is mere reconnaissance, and as dull as it may be, it is important nonetheless. Heidern will endure for as long as need be until the job is done. That is what he was paid to do, after all.
Their business exchange taken care of as necessary, it would seem the two men are left to go their own separate ways. Dismissed, the rotund native emerges through the doorway, and at the first signs of movement, Heidern himself moves, but his actions are far from lethal. Instead, a hand drifts to a rucksack at his side, withdrawing a camera. Leaning forward, he lifts it swiftly to his eye, he takes a few snapshots, for later use. One down, one left.
Again, Heidern is forced to wait, but once again, it isn't long.
Another sign of life causes the man's arm to move, lifting that camera to his one good eye. Through the lens he lets the camera auto-focus on the looming blonde man, preparing himself for a good shot. The camera briefly struggles, but with a bit of movement, it doesn't take long for the device to get a nice, clean image of the other figure involved. Without thinking, Heidern lets his finger descend three times, shots taken. His expression remains impassive. His work is done here, and with that the man begins to lower his arm...
Then it dawns on him. There is something distantly familiar about that face.
The camera is set aside, and with one swift motion, the soldier lifts the gun up, focusing its sights on the looming German's figure. For once, the visage of impassive calm and uncanny composure falters, shoulders tensing as his breath begins to quicken. It can't possibly be...but he never forgets a face. And that face, however fleeting, was damnably familiar. The gun jerks across the horizon before the Ikari, desperately seeking its mark. And then it becomes obvious. That red sticks out like a sore thumb.
Two words leave Heidern's lips, thick with disgust and as deadly as any venom:
"Rugal Bernstein."
There are few things on the face of the earth which truly earn the ire of Commander Heidern. At the top of the soldier's list is, however, the R leader himself. For a moment, Heidern seems locked in his anger, the tip of the rifle shaking like a leaf on the wind. Long fingers curl against the rifle, deadly fingertips impossibly digging into the steel of the rifle, the plastic of the PSG-1. He is a kettle ready to boil over, his rage seething just beneath the surface.
A blur of deep olive color makes its movement from the nearby distance, leaping high off the nearby rooftop. For a brief moment, a humanoid figure blots out the sun, its silhouette visible and contrasting against the endlessly blue skies of Thailand. But just as soon as it becomes visible...it swiftly descends, like a bullet aimed for Rugal. And just before it descends, a hand shoots out, intent on slicing whatever of the crimelord it can with those long digits - particularly, his neck, with a blood-curdling and perhaps uncharacteristic holler of:
"BERNSTEIN!! Your head is MINE!!"
COMBATSYS: Heidern has started a fight here.
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Heidern 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Rugal has joined the fight here.
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Heidern 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Rugal
COMBATSYS: Heidern successfully hits Rugal with Fierce Punch.
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Heidern 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Rugal
Always be prepared for the worst. That's what Rugal would tell his minions, his subordinates. After all, simpletons needed to be reminded of that from time to time lest they get lulled into a false sense of security. It is a lesson he hardly sees fit to impart upon himself, however. Who would attack him after all? Who would be so ready to throw away their life in trying to strike him down? Does anyone really have THAT little to lose that they would take that chance?
But unchecked confidence breeds arrogance and Rugal Bernstein has plenty of that to spare. Which is why the tall, suited man is willing to wait out in the open just like that. Almost as if daring the world to take a shot at him. Take the shot then perish. And it would seem that there is one out there willing to throw everything away for that chance, however slim it might be.
There is a moment of alertness. That brief flash of deeply rooted instinct that alerts him to something about to happen. And if Heidern was any normal man, Rugal would have detected him coming in plenty of time to end this chance encounter oh so painfully quick. But there is nothing ordinary about the man that leaps down from on high with the furious shout.
A glance to the side, then the other side, then finally straight up - those unique eyes, one human the other not, just barely lock in on Heidern right before the soldier's hand slashes out, biting into the side of the neck of his target. It's enough to cause Rugal to stumble back a step, one bare hand coming up to press against his neck as he evaluates the slash with a quick touch.
Teeth gritted as blood spills over his fingers, Bernstein glares at Heidern as the Ikari finishes his descent to the ground. "Heidern... For your sake I hope that was worth it, for that is the closest you will come to taking my head before you DIE!" And with that Rugal lunges forward, arms stretched out at his sides as he appears to be literally intending to smash directly into Heidern with all the power that he can summon, dropplets of blood trailing in the wake of his incoming hand, fingers splayed out like claws.
COMBATSYS: Rugal successfully hits Heidern with God Press.
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Heidern 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Rugal
And with that crushing power Rugal smashes into Heidern, arm hooking around him enough to drive him straight against the side of the brick building that had acted as a secret meeting location only minutes ago. The raw momentum is enough to crush the man through the wall as bricks go flying in all directions. Rugal himself leaps back, "RAARGH!!" Pausing to take stock of his opponent, his hands clenching and unclenching, "Is that the power you thought to throw yourself against, HEIDERN. Are you so eager to join your family?" He could attack again. But that would interrupt the deep, cold laughter that rattles in his throat, a moment of dark humor at Heidern's expense.
Alert Rugal may be, but it would seem he is unprepared for the sudden appearance of the Ikari Commander. Like a hawk descending from the skies, his long arms crossed over his broad chest. Unexpected, perhaps, the man flies swiftly toward the crime lord and, in one smooth and fearsome motion, lashes his hand out, long digits slashing toward the German's neck. From the man's dry lips a promise is shouted. He will have Rugal's head, and Heidern will have his revenge.
Leather gloves slice across the blonde's neck, and soon a spray of red stains the man's neck. But it matters little to the man; he lands hands-first, elbows bending before he lets his weight roll forward. The roll itself is brief; soon afterwards the soldier springs up to his feet, landing with a heavy thud of thick boots against dry earth. In one swift motion the commander turns, to face the ruthless R leader without so much as flinching. Some may fear Rugal Bernstein.
Heidern, however, does not.
"It will not be worth it until you are lying dead at my feet, Bernstein," the man assures the German, the volume of his voice barely contained. Even as Rugal suddenly lurches to life, Heidern refrains from moving out of harm's way, and perhaps underestimates the other man in the process. Snared, the soldier just glares as he's driven toward the wall and ultimately through it, sent soaring before he crashes back-first into the opposite wall. A heavy, ragged breath is expelled from Heidern's lungs before he sags, sliding down the wall.
But he lands on his feet, and soon regains his footing and spirit. That single, blue eye just stares at Rugal, icy but afire with hate and fury, his rage relatively contained as he just observes the man. "That was nothing," he states, lifting a hand up and flicking it aside, to rid his glove of the crime lord's blood. And though the German may employ a certain touch of dark humor, Heidern just lets his jaw square, teeth clenched tightly behind his thin lips. So tight, he begins to see motes of white. Anymore pressure, and his teeth may very well shatter.
"I will not die - I reFUSE to die - until I see to it that you are DEAD, Bernstein. This I ASSURE you!!" Laugh he may, but Heidern does not hesitate. Instead, his feet stir, a cloud of dust erupting from beneath him as he charges for the blonde, hands outstretched, attempting to grab the German by his coat...
COMBATSYS: Rugal fails to counter Lead Belcher from Heidern with Scorpion Blow.
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Heidern 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Rugal
Piercing Rugal's defenses, Heidern moves in swiftly, long digits snaring around the lapel's of the R leader's coat. For the briefest of moments, that single, blue eye meets the one good eye remaining in Rugal's face, the Ikari Commander's features cold and emotionless. That one eye, however, is burning angrily, all but boring a hole straight through the blonde's face.
"No mercy will ever be spared for you, Bernstein. None. EVER," he promises.
...before Rugal's legs suddenly fall out from under him. With a jerk of his leg, the Ikari's ankles crash into the German's for leverage. In that same motion, Heidern's arms tense, shoving Rugal toward the ground with considerable effort and force - enough to very likely crater the dry earth. But the real effort lies in Heidern's follow-up.
With one smooth motion, the Ikari Commander slides up along Rugal's side, positioning himself just at the other man's midsection. Lifting an arm high above, those long, cruel fingers suddenly plunge downwards, straight for Rugal's gut. There is no punch here; instead, those fingers pierce flesh, staining the white of his dress shirt an ugly shade of reddish-brown.
The motion itself is quick. Jerking his hand free, the soldier delivers a kick with the toe of his boot into Rugal's side, to send him rolling forward a turn at the most.
When he sees Heidern coming in making a grab for him, Rugal does the same in return, hand lashing out with incredible speed, barelling in on Heidern's neck where it would have delivered a crushing choke hold that could have ended this oh so swiftly. But Heidern weaves past the grasp and Bernstein finds himself hefted then slammed to the ground. It doesn't last long as he starts to sit right back up without a moment's hesitation - but that hand of the Ikari commander's punctures right back into him and Rugal is flattened for a moment. Even the gut rending punch wasn't enough to stop him though as he attempts to lash out with a fist just before Heidern kicks him to the side, sending him rolling back up into a standing position some yards away. Blood seeps through his white pressed shirt but he seems to pay it almost no mind.
The humor, unpleasant as it may have been, is gone now. That human eye looks back, matching Heidern's calculated coldness with raging fury. That inhuman eye flares red as the powerful man reaches up and with one smooth gesture rips his shirt to shreads, shedding both it and his jacket into a heap at his feet. The green muscle shirt he has on underneath is already punctured at his stomach, a gift from Heidern's vicious attack.
"Very well!" roars the madman in return, anger at the strike driving him now. "If you think you have what it takes to strike me down... if you believe your moment of vengeance is at hand... then show me!!"
Despite the brief scuffle, Heidern's speed seems to prove the victor, and as result the crime lord finds himself grounded and ultimately skewered. Ruthless and efficient, the blow to Rugal's gut is swift, long fingers plunging deeply into flesh and muscle before simply ripping free. Dismissed with little more than a kick, Rugal is left to his own devices.
As the leader of R rises and tears his form free of the shirt and jacket, the Ikari Warrior turns and faces him. From his side the once-offending arm jerks out to his side, a swath of red cut into the dry earth at Heidern's feet as the blood sails free from his glove. The look in Heidern's eye is fierce, all compassion and remorse lost in this moment.
A roar of encouragement pours from Rugal's lips, but Heidern does not immediately act. Instead, the man scoffs lightly under his breath, that single, undamaged eye narrowing dangerously as he glares at the blonde. "You need not tell me to," he states. ..before he sprints forward, head low. Only as he nears does a hand suddenly shoot out, long fingers intent on leaving a gash from shoulder to opposing hip as he closes in.
"I have NO qualms or reservations in mutilating the likes of you! DIE, YOU FILTH!"
COMBATSYS: Rugal blocks Heidern's Medium Punch.
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Heidern 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Rugal
This time when the fighters clash, Rugal reacts defensively, a single, muscular arm coming up to intersect the angled slash of Heidern's dagger-like hand, intersecting the soldier's forearm with enough force to stop the attack without too much trouble.
It is then, that their arms are locked against each other briefly, that Bernstein allows himself a glimmer of a smirk, a single 'heh' escapes his mouth between teeth gritted with the effort needed to hold Heidern's arm at bay.
The exchange happens in a blink of the eye before the powerful man twists his wrist enough to attempt to grab hold of Heidern's attacking arm. If he can get a grip he will use that leverage to swing a foot up into Heidern's gut in order to turn the other man around just so that he can shove a knuckled fist into the small of the warrior's back before smashing him down to the ground on his back.
COMBATSYS: Heidern counters Medium Throw from Rugal with Killing Bringer.
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Heidern 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Rugal
Closing in the distance between, the two meet and, in perhaps a surprising turn, that offending hand is intercepted by Rugal's capable own. The other man blinks that single eye once, that eye flickering from the arm at his side before it slowly turns back onto Rugal. Disgust bubbles in those blue depths, his lips pulling into a scowl as they are briefly locked.
It only encourages Heidern to struggle against him all the more, that eye hooding dangerously as he attempts to overpower the blonde crime lord. But their brief pause doesn't last long; soon, Rugal makes the motion to flatten Heidern on his back. However, perhaps driven by his overwhelming anger and hatred for the German, he is having none of this.
As Rugal twists his wrist, Heidern lurches forward. His other hand swings around, getting a good grasp on the muscle shirt before the opposite hand twists. Breaking it free at the blonde's thumb, Heidern takes hold of his arm before exerting himself swiftly, tossing the man high above. That's when the Ikari suddenly crouches. Right beneath him.
He waits, that blue eye narrowed still as he glares ahead. Years of training have honed his senses, enough to know when the perfect time to strike is. And just as it seems Rugal is going to crash into the other man's shoulders. ..an arm jerks to life, thrusting upwards. Like before, long, gloved digits lodge themselves into the German's back, holding him above, skewering him on his arm. Despite the blood that pours from him. ..the soldier seems far from bothered. If anything, an odd aura springs to life around him, a haze of crimson that seems to all but siphon the life out of Rugal...
...before Heidern suddenly rises and, in the same motion, jerks his arm aside, to send Rugal flying.
He twists through the air as he is sent flying, shoe clad feet colliding with the ground as he recovers into a slide that leaves two ruts in the dirt beneath him, one hand extended to press his fingers against the ground. The slightest hint that his strength is waning in the onslaught from Heidern. A hint that passes a split second later as Rugal rises back into a standing position all the same.
That red, glaring eye gazes back at Heidern as Bernstein's assault is brought to a brief pause. Studying, analysing, making instant comparisons of the power that is coursing through the other man's body against other foes he has fought. The fight he had expected to end swiftly is taxing more of his strength than perhaps he feels is warrented. "You've changed a little," he replies after a moment. "Perhaps it would even be fair to say you've learned since our last battle."
Rugal smirks again, smashing his fist into the palm of his hand with enough force that the air forced out from between his fingers turns to vapor before fading. "So be it." There is the laugh again. Confidence in the face of a cool yet revenge-filled adversary. "Maybe the moment that has brought you this far truly is at hand!"
COMBATSYS: Rugal focuses on his next action.
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Heidern 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Rugal
Heidern's attentions stir the moment Rugal's body makes impact, his feet planting into the earth, supporting his weight as he is sent skidding in a three-point stance. Still, despite the seeming advantage Heidern may have at the moment, the old soldier knows well one thing: do not underestimate the likes of Rugal. Ever.
Thin lips pull into the tiniest of scowls as he watches Rugal. He says nothing, however; for the longest of moments, as that inhuman eye of Rugal's observes the Ikari, Heidern just stands there. His confidence here is a touch frustrating, but he is only human. And if he's human, then he's more than capable of hurting. Even better, dying.
Which is precisely what Heidern would like to see.
"I have learned that you are a pathetic human being, Bernstein. Slaughtering innocent people...slaughtering my FAMILY. You are shameless. You are disgusting. You make me sick. You're right about one thing. I have changed, but do not flatter yourself. YOU have not taught me anything, except one thing--"
Lifting his arms high over head, those lanky appendages cross at the wrist, fingertips slightly curled. A second later the air ignites with blue chi, and his arms descend. In the wake of that fierce motion a swath of x-shaped chi sails for Rugal, intent on slamming right into the man's torso.
"I will never give you the satisfaction of killing ME!"
COMBATSYS: Rugal overcomes Cross Cutter from Heidern with Kaiser Wave.
- Power hit! -
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Heidern 0/-------/--=====|-------\-------\0 Rugal
As Heidern speaks Rugal remains silent. The experienced soldier will sense the build up of strength from within. A growl deep in his throat as he bends his arms back, the fingers of his hands extending, the muscles in his arms trembling with the amount of energy he begins to pour into the palms of his hands.
It starts as a glimmer of brilliant white in his hands, an ironic color for the man who's soul is filled with such darkness. But what start as glimmers rapidly become bright, convulsing spheres of chi within his palms as he arches his back, stretching his arms even further behind him until it would seem they could physically go no further.
His words come, strained by the effort he is driving into this next attack. "Your family's blood is on your hands. You made that decision when you got in my way. They died to save you... you no doubt remember it well... the blindingly bright flash of power... their screams... their final words... now it is YOUR TURN TO SHARE THEIR FATE!!" With a roar, the tyrant brings his arms forward, fusing the two massive spheres of power in his hands into one gigantic wave of force that goes tearing through the incoming Cross Cutter as if it didn't even exist and travels onward - its purpose clear, its intent unmistakeable. To deatomize the Ikari Warrior where he stands.
COMBATSYS: Rugal successfully hits Heidern with Kaiser Wave.
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Heidern 1/------=/=======|-------\-------\0 Rugal
He knows the motions, as Rugal begins to pool his energy. It matters little to the commander; instead, he simply cuts his hands through the air, letting those long fingers all but tear swiftly. In the wake of his hands the chi soars, straight for Rugal. But Rugal, it would seem, has other plans entirely.
No matter. That solitary blue eye hoods, his expression as cold and empty as ever. No remorse for Bernstein; none. "Shut up, Bernstein," the man snaps, that single black brow descending sharply as he glares. "You're a goddamned murderer. They had nothing to do with your petty ambitions. You dragged innocent people into something that was not their business." But the more Rugal talks, the more disgusted Heidern finds himself.
Disgusted in Rugal...and disgusted with himself. His features go cold, face devoid of color as he just glares. Right now, Heidern's thoughts escape him, save for two. Pain, and anger. The blast of blindingly white energy comes crashing at the Ikari Commander, but the man does not move. He lets it come full force, accepting the ferocity of Rugal's strike face-on. It's a bit more than he can handle, perhaps...but he does not give up.
So...this is what it was like for his family?
Though the blast of chi gets the better of him and sends him flying back, Heidern's form twists midair, and he lands in a three-point stance. That single eye slowly lifts, blue depths burning with newfound ferocity as he watches the other man. He may hate himself for the fate of Sandra and Clara...but nothing could ever top the dislike he harbors for Rugal Bernstein.
He says nothing. Instead, his form hunches forward, his features embraced in a shadow as the sun looms behind him. Around his body that strange, crimson haze rises, licking and laping at his legs and arms like fire as he stands there, focusing all that hatred and anger. "You...will SUFFER," he promises, that haze suddenly strengthening as he holds his ground.
COMBATSYS: Heidern gathers his will.
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Heidern 1/--=====/=======|-------\-------\0 Rugal
Again comes that chuckle. Deep in his throat as he lowers his arms slowly after having unleashed one of the most powerful waves of energy ever harnessed by mortal man. He can see it in Heidern's eye. The seething, blinding hatred. Not just for the crimelord, but for himself as well. To have such a powerful man driven to fury against him only fuels Bernstein's ego. Confirms to him who the superior one is here. And it amuses him.
"Perhaps someday you will know that I have already suffered an incomprehensible loss. And one day, maybe you just might have a chance to add to it. But I do not believe it will be your privelege to cause after all... Do you think you are the only man to have lost something at my hand? Do you think ending their lives made any difference to me? They consumed the fury that was aimed at you... but other than being an inconvenience, their existence meant nought to me. And the same could be said for countless others... None of them matter to me. The shattered lives scattered around the world that wish for the exact same thing you do is impossible to even know." Rugal laughs then, shaking his head. "Think about it long and hard. Has your life been blessed with the good fortune to be the one out of so many to obtain what you all must seek? Hahaha! IMPOSSIBLE!"
Leaning forward into a low, lunging run, his arms stretched out at his sides, Rugal seems to be charging in recklessly as he did at the outset of the fight, his fingers outstretched like claws. When he draws in near, it is with a clothes line that attempts to slam one arm into Heidern's stomach in order to slam the man down to the ground. His opposite arm folds in over his chest at the last minute, as if already bracing for a retaliatory attack. "HAAHH!!"
COMBATSYS: Heidern Toughs Out Rugal's Strong Throw!
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Heidern 1/-======/=======|=------\-------\0 Rugal
As fueled as Rugal's ego may be, Heidern is unconcerned with the other man. Right now he just focuses on the anger that boils inside, using it to, in turn, fuel his strength. That shot of pure chi was stronger than he had wagered, but it is far from running the soldier into the ground. If anything, experiencing what his family felt before they were all but destroyed only further angers him. And that is not a good thing. Not at all.
The laughter falls upon deaf ears as that odd haze rises from the man like an odd specter. Rugal speaks, and though it's likely Heidern listens. ..he does not seem to care. Instead, those weathered features twist into a disgusted look, his solitary blue eye narrowing to a mere slit as the crime lord continues to talk. Is he purposely trying to get the Ikari Commander so angry he loses control?
Clenching his teeth behind tightly-pulled lips, the odd shadow on Heidern's face only darkens, that single eye more than visible despite. Even as Rugal runs, the Ikari does not move - he lets the crime lord close in and ultimately attempt to clothesline him in the stomach. It strikes. ..but Heidern doesn't budge, save for the grind of boots into dry, dusty earth. Between them, a haze of dust rises. With Rugal so close...it affords Heidern a prime opportunity.
"Your losses are nothing in comparison to the families you have DESTROYED," he growls, that one eye of Heidern's wide, his pupils mere pinpoints. "I know well I am not the only man to lose almost everything to the likes of YOU, and I am more than aware that you do not think twice to murder innocent people. You are a sick and depraved creature. You aren't fit to be called a human being. I have not persisted this long for good fortune."
He pauses. ..just as a hand suddenly LURCHES forward from his side, to stab the crime lord brutally in the gut. Again.
"I have persisted for this moment. When I can rip you apart with my bare HANDS." he promises in a morbid and oh-so cruel whisper.
COMBATSYS: Heidern successfully hits Rugal with Final Bringer.
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Heidern 0/-------/----===|======-\-------\0 Rugal
Unlike before, there is far more brutality to Heidern's assault. Long fingers plunge into that open wound, and the moment it strikes, that odd red haze erupts around the soldier's arm. His opposite hand lurches to life in that instant, snagging the man by his shoulder and pulling him forward - and further into his arm.
But the entire time, Heidern maintains that frightening composure, the proverbial calm just before the vicious storm. With the crime lord intimately close, that solitary blue eye narrows dangerously, glaring the other man right in the eye. His one, good eye.
"Rugal Bernstein. You are a man blinded by his ambitions and selfish desires. You think you are god-like, that your one brush with that pathetic Orochi power has been a blessing. I also presume you think yourself superior to the likes of most, and a man such as myself. You think you are a devil, but I have a secret for you."
Rather cruelly, Heidern's hand twists to one side. Inside Rugal, long, claw-like fingers twist, daring to grind up muscle and, perhaps, insides, to mere ribbons. But his grasp remains assured. For now, Heidern is not letting him go.
"You are just as human as myself. Like my family. You too, Bernstein, can die. And like the devil you are--"
Fingertips curl, grasping onto something - anything - within. Then, ruthlessly, Heidern's hand JERKS out, a vicious spray of blood erupting from the wound, staining olive green fatigues an odd shade of putrid brown, flecks of blood splashing against the Commander's face.
"Go...to HELL!!" he yells, that single blue eye wide with fury.
The other hand gives Rugal's shoulder a harsh shove, to send him back. "You will DIE, Bernstein."
For all of his pretencious talk. For all of his boasting, his ego, his confidence. At the core, Rugal is a man. And as a man, he has his limits. And right now, Heidern is pushing them. Having challenged the fighting Titans of the world, Bernstein has fought men and woman of all kinds. Some demons at the core, others simply misdirected fools. But against none of them has he ever felt the malice, the seething hatred that this man here holds for him.
Sometimes it takes having someone's dagger-like hand shoved into your innards to get that point across. As the two glare at each other in such close proximity, Rugal is silent, his jaw clenched, the pain, the sheer agony he feels in that instant impossible to ignore, even for one such as him. Perspiration rolls down the sides of his face, his blond hair matted with the moisture.
As Heidern shoves him back, the ruthless crimelord stumbles at last, a rasping, choking cough as he collapses to one knee, his arm resting against his other leg to keep him upright, refusing to fall over, even after all of that.
His opposite hand clenches tightly as slowly he forces himself back into a standing position - though this time with far less power than before. The chuckle that comes this time is strained, blood spilling from his mouth going ignored as Bernstein is forced to pause. "At your core, Heidern... you are no different than I. I know that now." The faintest, bloody smirk crosses his features. There is no doubt in his mind about it. The only difference between the men is a small nuance, a minor iota almost not worth mentioning. In the end, it simply came down to which side they each chose.
COMBATSYS: Rugal gains composure.
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Heidern 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Rugal
Rugal Bernstein is as mortal as any other man, and Heidern knows this well. Though many may fear the name of Bernstein, as well as his cartel, there is nothing but sheer anger and hate, funneled into determination. The determination to destroy the mad man, who ruined the life he once hand. Who slaughtered his wife and child. Unforgivable. Simply unforgivable.
And Heidern's lack of compassion shows well as the soldier closes in the distance between and all but brutally stabs the German. Blood all but pours from the nasty wound, leaving its mark well in the man's body. Shoved back and away, Rugal is given room to breathe, but Heidern's brief pause is likely to be short-lived.
For now, he stares down at the mad man, that solitary blue eye still narrowed. Is he comparing himself to the likes of Commander Heidern? For a moment, Heidern's features remain blank, devoid of emotion, save for that seething hatred in his blue eye. Then?
Then he offers a sharp, bark of a laugh at Rugal. "You really are insane.
"I am nothing like you. I will NEVER be like you."
With that, Heidern moves swiftly again, lunging forward in attempt to grab Rugal again and toss him to the ground, to plunge long fingers into the man's wound yet again. Overkill? Perhaps, but Heidern promised the crime lord NO ounce of mercy.
And none he shall have.
"Stay down and DIE!!"
COMBATSYS: Rugal counters Lead Belcher from Heidern with Genocide Cutter.
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Heidern 0/-------/--=====|===----\-------\0 Rugal
And it is in that moment of uncertain weakness... when perhaps for a moment the tyrant looks vulnerable - ready for defeat, having surrendered his existence to the knife-like hand of the man who most assuredly deserves to claim it... that Rugal's will to live manifests. It is as if he drives himself on out of pure spite. Mirroring Heidern's hatred with an almost inexplicable one of his own. If only the Ikari knew what he had cost Bernstein with his interference in the past. If only he knew the fury he filled the man with when that small band of Ikari warriors intercepted the group of 'R' deep in the jungles of Africa... It would perhaps bring him the smallest sliver of joy to know that the pain he had inflicted on Rugal in the past was far worse than even the gut rending agony he just gave him moments ago. But Bernstein says nothing of the past as Heidern comes at him again.
In that moment a flicker of a smirk, the traces of pain fading from his face, the slightest, subtle clue that perhaps, for all the Ikari warrior did to him, the monster before him isn't quite so crushed as he thought. "Genocide-" comes the gluttural growl - the first name of an attack dreaded by so many around the world. Bernstein's red-pants covered leg lashes out into Heidern's chest before his arms can quite reach the tyrant. The swing is an upward angle, intent to knock Heidern clean off his feet.
The momentum is enough to carry them both into the air where Rugal remains in control long enough to bring his other leg around and upward with smashing force, a trail of burning, cutting chi following his foot and colliding with Heidern with a searing, crushing strength. "CUTTER!"
Turning around in the air, allowing the momentum of each of his sweeping kicks to carry him through, Rugal brings his first leg down into Heidern's stomach, heel first, driving the Ikari commander back down the ground so fast that free-falling to terminal velocity would have been considered merciful in comarison.
Rugal's own two feet land in the ground and the self-proclaimed god among men bends forward, hand reaching p to clutch at his stomach, pressing against the gaping wound visible through his muscle shirt. The movements of the Genocide Cutter only served to make worse the injury, both on the surface and internally... but for all he has been through, he still stands strong enough to continue. "Deny it all you wish. Inside, you know it to be true..."
When an animal is cornered, it will do whatever is possible to escape alive.
Mankind is no exception, no matter how utterly inhuman they may be.
There appears on Heidern's face a certain expression of disbelief as the man moves in a fashion that is not to be expected of a man in Rugal's condition. Yet he moves regardless of the smirk, attempting to snare the crime lord by his lapel, to end this fight as swiftly as possible. Heidern need not remind himself: he does not need to show mercy to a man like Rugal Bernstein. He does not deserve an ounce of it.
In an instant Heidern's world is one wracked with pain. His pursuit is interrupted rather suddenly, the heel of Rugal's shoe lodging into his gut, causing that one, blue eye of the Ikari Commander's to widen in a mix of disbelief and pain. A beat, and the man twists his form, the odd move and momentum carrying both up, but only Heidern is meant to fall here.
That slash of chi erupts, slicing cleanly into the Commander's chest, the uniform on his person slashed and a spray of red erupting from the wound. Only after he is brutally slashed do Rugal's feet come down, to drive the man toward the ground, where he lands with a loud thud, a massive plume of dust erupting from beneath his form. The force is enough to leave the faintest halo of cracked earth around his form.
But...somehow. Somehow...Heidern is not down. Not yet.
But much like Rugal himself, Heidern is on his last leg now. Breathing heavily and bleeding across the chest, the man's uniform is caked with dirt and stained an awful shade, the stench of blood flooding his nostrils. And still, despite all this...Rugal insists they are the same.
"You're WRONG," the soldier bellows, spittle flying from his mouth as he flashes his pearly whites in rage. "You and I are not alike, and never will be! Unlike you, I know compassion. Unlike YOU, I do not murder innocent people. Unlike you, Bernstein, I am not driven by selfish ambition! And UNLIKE you, I am more human than you could ever hope to be." Pausing, the soldier lifts a hand, long gloved digits fiercely curling against the wound across his chest.
"You took my eye. You broke my body. You killed my men. Casualties of war."
That blue eye flashes with anger as it lifts, narrowing on Rugal.
"But when you brought my FAMILY into this and murdered them - MURDERED THEM. ..you made this personal."
He staggers again, gasping for breath as he lightly backpedals.
"N-not today." Not today? That one brow of Heidern's furrows, his expression one of anger and pain as he stands there, struggling with conflicting emotions. Rugal is so close to being bested here. ..and so too is Heidern. His limits are near. He can't push himself much more. But now...now is the best time, if any, to end this. And yet. ..the wise soldier in him says otherwise. And so...
"Today is not the day."
With those five words, Heidern kneels before he springs up, propelling his body into the air. Landing on the roof from whence he came, the Ikari gathers the rucksack he abandoned, slinging it over a shoulder. At his side, a gloved hand is curled into a tight fist - so tightly, the leather has since broke, red visibly oozing from the sides of his palms, dropping freely to the rooftop beneath him.
Heidern turns his head and spits in disgust before he turns and makes his retreat.
COMBATSYS: Heidern has left the fight here.
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Rugal 0/-------/----===|
That Rugal doesn't press an attack as Heidern gets up is indicitive of the damage that has been done to him thus far. The pain is incredible. Even with his powerful constitution going to work immediately on the wounds... deep, plunging injuries slowly mending themselves with unnatural strength, he cannot bring himself to attack yet. Silence is his answer as he glares back at Heidern. That red glow in his right eye has gone out, leaving only a pool of technological darkness behind, a 'gift' from another encounter that had pushed him to his limits just like this one.
It is only when he realizes that Heidern will move that Rugal lunges forward, attempting to smash himself into the other man in perhaps one final attack that would see one or the other of them dead. For an instant, his will to live is cast aside, replaced with only a suicidal drive to rend the one-eyed Ikari from limb to limb with raw, brutal force. "RAAAAARGH!" he roars as Heidern leaps out of his crasp, his powerful arms sweeping into the dust left in the wake of the commander's jump.
Standing up straight, it is all he can do to glare after the other man, one hand tightening into a fist held in front of him at his waist while the other hand flattens over his wound once again. There is a stagger but it passes. Inhaling and exhaling slowly, his breathing gradually coming under control, he has no parting words as Heidern spits then vanishes from view.
He is left only minutes to compose himself as the sound of a chopper is heard on the horizon. A black aircraft, sleek, modern, loaded with weapons and counter-surveillance technology comes to land at the clearing nearby. By the time the landing gear touches down, Rugal has already bent down and hooked his discarded shirt and suit coat by a finger and slung them over his shoulder. His blond hair is tousled by the rotors as he glances over his other shoulder in the direction he last saw Heidern.
The Ikari commander has cost him an opportunity here. He got away with information that will be the end of a plot he has worked on setting up in Thailand since the inception of the war. There are backup plans the tyrant of "R" will engage. But even one token defeat is enough to frustrate the man so confident in everything going as he had intended.
Looking back toward his helicopter, Rugal steps forward, climbing into one of the back seats. As the rotors spin up the co-pilot glances over his shoulder, taking in his boss's condition instantly. "Run into some trouble, sir?"
"No." comes the deep reply from the back seat as the chopper takes to the air and skims just over the hot, humid jungle. "A living specter. A ghost from the past."
COMBATSYS: Rugal has ended the fight here.
Log created on 22:26:41 07/16/2007 by Rugal, and last modified on 15:27:25 07/18/2007.