Description: [Soma vs. Kaiwei] Jinchuu is a tournament filled with its own crazy betrayals, setups, and sneaky behind the scenes deals by the ninja running it. However, as Kaiwei finds out when he comes to Metro looking for injured Soma, the ICPO agent has some ideas of his own about things not being what they seem... [Winner: Kaiwei]
While the bonus and airfare out to meet soma is nice...it wasn't nearly enough! For the first time in a good, long while, Kaiwei has set out across the ocean solo, without even the company of his wife. None of the kids have joined him; they're all at home, doing whatever it is that good little children do. Once he actually arrives in America, though? It's difficult to find his way around; his English isn't the best, his saving grace coming in the form of a cab driver that speaks his native language. The destination? Some hospital. A certain one. No, he doesn't know where it is! He should have looked into that sooner... The reason? To beat up on a poor, bedridden man...all for the sake of wealth beyond measure.
At least, that was the premise. It's not that thought that sat lightly over the course of the trip. To be honest, he tells the driver, he'd rather not do it. But this is his family he's thinking of, the chance to have them set for life, so he can retire in good conscience!
The cab soon pulls up in front of the hospital, fares paid and parting words given. The place is much bigger than he expected, truly. A good half-minute is spent looking around, mumbling under his breath. "Yes, right..." he says aloud, suddenly, causing a man exiting the glass doors to stop and look over, as no one else is around to speak to! But rather than focus his attention on the faceless passerby, Kaiwei steps through the sliding glass doorway, up to the desk in the lobby. All he has is a name now...will the receptionist be able to help find this Soma guy?
If there was ever a visual lesson in not attempting vigilante justice, Soma Travedi has been it, for the past week or so. His ill-fated attempt to get intel on the Hellraisers gang here in Metro City ended with him quite closer to the verge of his own demise than the newspaper article he merited managed to imply. However... not everything is what it seems about the situation. In fact, by the time the fruit basket arrived with the simple note -- "Defend yourself" -- Soma was actually already mostly healed. A fighter's natural resilience isn't to be sneezed at... and the ICPO agent had everything to gain from appearing to be worse off than he is.
However, with Jinchuu underway -- and Soma's policeman's instincts already raising his hackles -- he can't stick around forever. Thus today marks the date of his official discharge from hte hospital. And as many hospitals do, Metro Memorial has a standing policy that patients are wheeled to the entrance lobby in a wheelchair, even if they can leave under their own power. Case in point: though he is dressed in his typical black and grey ensemble, the obligatory white bandage wrapped around his forehead and poking out under the black-silver bangs, Soma is currently being wheeled to the front desk by a young female orderly he is chatting with amiably.
How convenient that they wheel to a stop at the reception desk for Soma to sign forms, perfectly within view of the entrance doors!
...and how oddly busy the place seems to be today, with patients and employees everywhere...
Kaiwei is left to stand at the desk there, posture straight, arms by his sides, not really bothering to lean or anything. In fact, while the receptionist had been calling to see what Soma's state was, whether he could allow visitors or not, for how long, the older man just...stays there. Talking. Granted, he IS looking around; a hospital in the states is usually a sight to see, everything in dull, casual colors, earthy tones or pastels that foster relaxation. The talking is, as usual, to himself. Looking from afar, it rather looks like the lady at the phones, so nobody really stops to stare at him. "Of course I can't do that, what do you take me for? Keh!" His arms pull up, folding loosely across his chest. "I never planned that to begin with. I have everything planned, you know--"
Ah, but then Soma is carted out! It's not that he recognizes the man, but his half-external discussion is stopped once forms are shuffled about and...the receptionist, kind as she is lovely, informs Mr. Ma that the person that he was looking for is here! "How convenient!" indeed. A hand lifts up, fingers spreading over the little black cloth cap he wears, moving it around in a small circle before straightening it up upon his crown.
"Soma?" he asks, the sound slightly high-pitched, curt, almost impatient. His head tilts a little, brows furrowing, the skin beneath his lower lip scrunching up as he takes on a slightly skeptical, pensive expression. "...You're out so soon? Nothing is wrong with you?" Well, there's the bandage yes, but what does that mean? It could be anything!
He should be whip-tense, considering, but as a complete and total stranger dressed like someone straight out of an episode of "Kung Fu" suddenly talks to him, Soma's manner is actually easy and relaxed. It does feel good to be standing on his own two feet, after all, standing up as he does to sign the release that lets him out of the hospital for good. His dark violet gaze rakes over Kaiwei for a moment, before the novelist gives the older man a somewhat crooked smile. "There may be plenty of things wrong with me, sir, but as far as my doctors are concerned, ten days appears to be sufficient for my *physical* recovery."
Putting down the pen and giving a nod to the orderly who was walking him out , Soma turns to face Kaiwei, shaking out his hands and sleeves a bit. "If you've come to wish me well, I appreciate it... I hope you didn't make a trip here from *China* just to find me leaving the hospital, however," the undercover agent jokes, smiling a little. But despite the facade he *is* alert, on a number of levels... just very good at seeming casual about it. "Or did you need something from me?"
Meanwhile, the orderly takes the now-empty wheelchair back toward the storage room... but she also gives a curt nod to a man sitting in the waiting area as she passes him. Could be nothing. Maybe they know each other?
What gave him away? The accent? The stereotypical chinese garb? ...The accent? Ma Kaiwei works his jaw left and right, throat rumbling in a little 'hrrumph' sort of manner without being so...English. Busy hands fish out the stock three-by-five inch card that his instructions were written on, with a generous amount of notes in his own hand scrawled wherever there may be room. Whether Soma can read chinese or not, it's not out for very long, nor is it angled in any way that would be excessively easy to let peeks be taken at the written side. "Ssh!" The sound is sudden, and he's looking down at that card...however, given that this man, this officer is the only one here? Take from that what you will!
"Ah, no no, no." He looks up, the card now held in one hand, held lengthwise as he uses it to point. "You and I are supposed to have a match. For the Jinchuu." His arms fold again across his chest, brows returning to their furrowed, scrunched state. "Did anyone tell you about it...?" There's only the briefest of pauses before a look of mild irritation suddenly arcs its way across Kaiwei's visage, head turning just scantly to the right. "I'm getting to it! Be quiet, you!" When he looks back, he's got that whole frowning look going on, one he wears when he's feeling pestered, rushed. "I was told to come here and fight an injured man! Ridiculous, isn't it?"
Mind, as he's speaking louder now, people are growing more interested in him...even the receptionist has taken exceptional notice, looking torn between hearing more about this and calling for security.
Something is... off about this situation, for sure. The old man's bizarre tendency of speaking to himself is certainly one of those things, and the Jinchuu card being the other. Thankfully, the latter gives Soma an excuse to raise his eyebrows in surprise at what his empathic sense is telling him about the *former*: that the poor old man's mind is somewhat fragmented. Not multiple minds -- they're clearly the same person -- but somewhat... well, the word is 'cracked', like a broken prism, reflecting the same thing in myriad and unnerving ways.
The card, however...
Reaching into his pocket, Soma withdraws his own notecard-sized piece of pasteboard and holds it in front of him like a badge. The text reads -- in both English and, amusingly, Indian -- 'Defend yourself'. The ICPO agent holds it in front of him long enough for Kaiwei to read it, if he wishes, then pockets it again. "It came with a fruit basket a few days ago," Soma explains. "I suppose they felt if I was still so under the weather that I couldn't stave off my first opponent, I probably had no place in the tournament... pragmatic thinking, obviously, but you're right... it does seem a little heartless."
Kaiwei's eyes narrow, he leans forward, just enough to read the card clearly. It's not that it's a difficult message to comprehend, but...the Indian script is throwing him off. "...Hmmm... No, no, I don't understand, either..." His hand, the one not holding his own card, has by now come up to rub, not at his chin, but at one of his eyebrows, stroking the long ends that frame his eyes between a thumb and forefinger, from top to bottom. Clearly, if he were truly possessed, as rumors tend to go, said ghost would be able to tell him that he's trying to read the same thing that he'd already read!
"Keh!" Again, it's very high-pitched, dismissive. "There's no sense in letting somebody out of the hospital that's just going to go right back in again." It's a bold prediction, is it not? He stands up straight again, both arms pulling behind him, hands clenching one another behind the small of his back. His head lifts up, chin out, head otherwise straight. "There has to be another way to do this." A pause, a thought, and then he asks, "Do you play Weiqi, young man?"
That question gets a chuckle out of Soma, who walks a little past Kaiwei so that another patient can take his place at the reception desk. "The original Chinese name for Go, right? No, I don't... I don't play shogi, chess, or Monopoly either," he adds, with a faint smile. Though the older Chinese man may seem a little strange, he is at least amusing... but as the time where they are *not* fighting increases, Soma is actually getting increasingly tense. He knows Riko and Seishirou's backgrounds... and fully expects their tournament to follow suit. "Besides," he adds, "I'm no Gunnar Bjornstrand and you're a bit too Asian to be Bengt Ekerot."
Running a hand through his hair, Soma turns and glances at Kaiwei with a more serious expression. "I think it's very noble of you to consider my injuries," he says diplomatically, ignoring the Chinese man's somewhat boastful suggestion as typical fighter trash talk. "But I should be fine. Besides, I have some questions for you about the opening ceremonies, if you happened to be at them." He might as well use the man for information so long as he's either actually or falsely reluctant to fight. "I obviously couldn't attend."
Soma is only granted a look of mild confusion, the old Chinese man's head tilting. He doesn't turn as he's passed, as he's wondering just...who ARE those people? Eventually, he does turn around, the query presented to him settling in his mind. "Questions!" Stepping away from the desk himself, he keeps his hands behind his back as he walks not necessarily toward Soma, but toward the hospital's exit, to which he gestures with a short nod of his head. "Come, come. Let us talk outside, I don't feel comfortable here." It's the smell. Everything carries that odor that's supposed to be clinical, the scent of cleaning solutions and antibacterials. Whether he's followed or not, Kaiwei is stepping outside!
"What questions," he does ask, however, while he's still within earshot, "do you have? It wasn't a very nice ceremony, I'll tell you that. Can you believe that they allow just anyone to bring their pet penguins along? Keh!" After that, it's a string of mumbling, words mostly under his breath. However, little things can be heard, things like "Awful, just awful..."
The suggestion to leave the hospital appears to be alright by Soma, who nods and follows Kaiwei out. As soon as the two are outside, however, the lobby is suddenly a *lot* less crowded than it just was. Patients, hangers about, even some of the staff make for stairways, the main doors, and other exits. Perhaps the two fighters are being watched -- the tournament IS run by ninja, after all. For his part, the undercover agent simply stretches both arms over his head as he steps out onto the wide concrete veranda of Metro City Memorial Hospital... a rather large building, all things considered, appropriate for Metro's size.
"Penguins?" he asks of Kaiwei with a raised eyebrow, as the two walk. "Perhaps I'd better not ask. I really am interested in why it is they held it on a *pier*... I had thought they would have some sort of transportation to a secluded venue, perhaps, but since they sent you to find me and didn't eject me from the tourney for being an entire continent in the wrong direction, I don't think that's it. And of course, all I have from their end is the damned basket of fruit."
Once outside, Kaiwei's posture straightens again, his shoulders loosen and drop, finally given the chance to relax. He closes his eyes and inhales deeply through his nose, grateful for the...well, the relatively fresh air outside, as opposed to the stench inside! His jaw drops, the breath released in a long, heady sigh. "Yes... Yes, penguins, I didn't stutter!" Really... Some people can't seem to grasp simple concepts when he speaks to them. To him, seeing a penguin in Japan isn't necessarily strange. He's long since accepted what his brain tells him that he sees; he's sure that things look different for a reason that he hasn't discovered yet.
Once away from the door and in a nice, grassy area off to the side, away from the stream of cars, he decides to elaborate. "It was on a pier because of the ship." Level eyes are laid upon Soma, one brow slightly arched. "You were told about the ship, weren't you?" He looks away, not even waiting for an answer, actually interrupting any that may come! "It was a stupid thing, half the idiots there were more worried about snacks and mouthwash than the prize."
"No, I wasn't," Soma says evenly, crossing his arms over his chest. Wasn't told... but now that someone's mentioned it, it does make an awful lot of sense. It's waterborne, movable... secluded... and the tournament holders have absolute sway over who comes and who goes, if they play their cards right. Holding the tournament on a ship actually seems like a damned brilliant idea... and the ICPO agent is mentally kicking himself for not having thought about it. "Interesting."
Bringing his hand up toward his neck, Soma drags a finger along the inside of his collar. To an outside observer, he appears to merely be loosening it. What's actually happened is that a small trigger sewn into the very cloth of his jacket gets tripped... though nobody comes running, and no team of ninjas appears out of the sky to decimate Kaiwei. He then grabs the bottom of his midriff-length jacket and tugs it before gesturing to Kaiwei to continue. "I'm sorry to bother you with all this, Mister..." He pauses. "I don't think I caught your name, and they didn't give it to me."
Ah! Where are his manners! The thought causes Kaiwei to stop whatever he was doing. He WAS told who to find, but it didn't really occur to him that Soma wouldn't know what he was up against. What sort of sense would THAT make? Then again, it's not as though much of this strange tournament makes much sense to begin with. "Ma." That's a short name, isn't it? He turns to face the silvery-haired man, hands coming together before his waist now, bending in a slight bow. "Ma Kaiwei." The name is spoken with the thick accent of his native tongue, of course. Really, this Soma person doesn't seem so bad! He didn't quite know what to expect.
"Ah! Mmn..." His head looks up, eyes sticking skyward, scarcely moving enough to scan the blue expanse and follow a trail of patterned avians. "The man said that idiots aren't welcome, so I don't expect most of them to even make it." He looks thoroughly unimpressed, his features generally easy to read. "No no, that's not what I meant. You saw them, more concerned about the snacks!" There's a brief pause, just enough time for his internal dialogue to continue. After that pause, he glances down, looking at Soma directly. "How would I know! Leave me alone, we're talking here! Shoo! Go away!" He even makes the arm motions, as if shooing something to the side of him off. "To put it simply, it's a boat, and the idiot that was speaking said that using your mind was more important than just beating someone up." Surely, that's why he hasn't attacked yet. Or maybe it's a ploy! What sort of tournament would function like that?
As the talking-to-himself episodes seem to increase in both frequency and vehemence, Soma's unease with Kaiwei gets a little stronger. The man is surely a victim of some calamity... either a real disorder, or some sort of stress that fractured his psyche so. Considering that even with his intense training to block such things out the Indian's empathic abilities still bleed some of the emotions of those around him to Soma himself... it's not a fun situation to be with.
Taking a few steps to his left, Soma finds the wall of a short stairwell and leans against it, putting a hand to his chin in thought. "Well, you can surmise at least one thing from that," he says, furrowing his brow. "I don't think just beating up the other person is necessarily the result, though that doesn't mean that it isn't involved somehow... it wouldn't exactly be 'The fighting proletariat's legendary recompense' otherwise, would it?" He frowns as he recites Jinchuu's 'subtitle', staring off to the side for a moment. "All the cloak and dagger stuff... I can't say that I particularly like it." And that's not even a lie.
Now that the prominent voice in Kaiwei's head has settled down a little, he lets out a puff of air, taking a moment or three to recompose himself. "Hnph!" His hands find themselves at the small of his back again, his legs taking him a turn away and a few steps in the opposite direction. "The man, what was his name..." Oh, he was a peculiar one. "Eh! The man, he did say that strength wasn't everything in this tournament!" His head nods a couple of times, agreeing with silent testament. "Yes, that's right. As if they're just testing us, to see through some awful trickery." His hand pulls up again, going to stroke that eyebrow for a short while longer.
When he does turn around, he eyes Soma critically. Just, you know...trying to judge what sort of shape he's in, to glean anything special about the man. "I can't in good conscience send you right back in there." He looks toward the hospital doors pointedly. "So I would appreciate if you were to drop out of this tournament." And before what he expects would be a violent disagreement, he adds, hurriedly, "You are young! You'll have plenty of opportunities. I only wish to make sure my children are taken care of before I retire." A pause, his hands coming together in front of him. "I can assure you, it's quite difficult to feed fifteen mouths on a single person's salary."
Soma's disagreement isn't violent. He pushes himself off the wall he's leaning against, brushing dust from his sleeves as he looks at Kaiwei with a somewhat sad expression. Yes... he assumed if this man was in the tournament, it was probably for the promise of money, and Soma is in it for something much more abstract... and something he can't explain to Kaiwei, either. That alone, never mind the Chinese man's sad tale, does indeed fill him with regret.
But it's not enough regret. Soma is an officer of justice, insofar as something exists... and sometimes justice is greater than a single individual's problems.
"I can't, Mr. Ma," the undercover agent says quietly, steeling himself for what is certainly to come. The answer to all this is back on that pier... so he's got to get to Southtown and work from there. Being in Metro is a bar-none liability at this point. "I'm sorry for your troubles. If I thought it wouldn't be an insult, maybe I'd counteroffer some amount of money... but I can't match the possible tournament prize. That being said, I also can't back down. I have my own reasons for needing to participate."
And that answer? That brings another sigh from Kaiwei, the sound soft, decidedly wistful. "All you young people, in a rush for everything..." He has no idea what the other man's necessity is, but he would imagine that it, like most others that he's seen wanting to enter this tournament, would be something frivalous. "If that is the case, there really isn't much choice, is there? My flight is already scheduled! I can't sit around and talk you into resigning."
His head tilts a little, away from Soma, eyes turned to pay attention to the 'whisper' in his ear. "...Ah... Hmmm..." Again, it's like there's someone there. His head nods a bit, eyes shifting back over to his opponent. "Well! It seems like we're not meant to fight normally. They said, I remember this clearly, that strength is not the challenge here! So!" His words are quick now, his accent creeping into them more frequently. "Why don't we both board the ship? If we're to fight, we can do so after you've had your rest." Of course, he doesn't say HOW...but this is what brainstorming is all about, isn't it?
It's not a suggestion Soma hasn't been entertaining himself. And really, it does seem sort of obvious, doesn't it? It's not as if the challenge says that they need to KILL each other or anything, nor does it particularly stipulate that both fighters can't board the boat. But Soma knows a little bit about the Ryouhara ninja thinks, or at least he assumes he does... there's only so much insight you can get from a detailed criminal dossier. But meeting Riko Koganei in person does amazing things for your educated guesses.
"I don't think that's how it works," Soma says carefully. He withdraws the card from his pocket and glances at the text again, then turns and glances at Kaiwei over the top of the small white paper card, brows furrowed in thought. He was told to 'defend himself', wasn't he? And Ma Kaiwei was simply told where he was. The letter of the law...
The undercover agent suddenly grins.
"I believe I have a plan. Mr. Ma, please favor me with a match," Soma says, shaking out his arms and getting ready to fight. He grins a little at the Chinese man, before glancing off to the side and giving a nod to... somebody. Certainly not someone Kaiwei can see from where they are given that there's a nice throng in Soma's line of sight. Turning back to the elder fighter, he nods. "Not to the death or anything. Just make it look good. And, whatever happens..."
The grin gets wider. "Get on that boat. And don't worry about me."
COMBATSYS: Soma has started a fight here.
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Soma 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Kaiwei has joined the fight here.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Soma
Well! Things have just taken a turn for the stance, even for Kaiwei. It's not that Soma is so eager to fight; truth be told, he'd started to take the man for at least a /little/ bit of a fool when he decided to be obstinant about remaining in the tournament. Sure, he's much the same way, but he does have a bad habit of throwing stones in glass houses. While it's perfectly normal for HIM to look away and react to the unseen, he's at least aware enough of his condition that OTHER being doing it is a little...unusual. Of course, he glances over, but can't really see anything, himself.
"A plan..." This plan...involves fighting? Something that is supposed to not be ultimately important for this entire affair? As he's not privy to it, despite the unusual invitation, he just sighs openly! "Very well..." He doesn't sound extremely happy about it, sure...perhaps he'll grasp the importane of this further in!
Kaiwei himself loosens up, his posture not changing much. His knees bend, weight lent more to one leg than the other, his arms both coming up, loose, bent at the elbows with his hands flat before him. "And who," he asks, taking slow, careful steps closer, his center of gravity low but constantly swaying left, right, smoothly with each step. "Are we to impress?"
How rude of him, though, to attack before his question is answered! His right arm snakes out quickly, his torso pushing forward, rear leg pulling...backward, forming a long, smooth line with his body. It's nothing too dangerous; an open-palmed strike toward Soma's chest; a test, if nothing else, for his condition.
COMBATSYS: Soma endures Kaiwei's Quick Punch.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Soma
Well... Soma certainly feels well enough to run right into Kaiwei's attack, so perhaps that will tell the Chinese fighter exactly what kind of condition the ICPO agent is in. Grimacing in pain as the punch slams into his chest, Soma nevertheless is able to maintain his footing, one arm already sweeping upwards, one of his curious and unique daggers already in his hand, blade backward.
Hoping to use the close range to his advantage, Soma strikes forward and upward, 'punching' Kaiwei under the chin with the hilt of the dagger held crosswise in his hand. No blade involved, but rather like holding a roll of quarters in your fist can add weight to a punch, so too does the dagger's hilt do for Soma. "Anyone who happens to be watching," he replies smoothly.
COMBATSYS: Kaiwei just-defends Soma's Medium Strike!
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Kaiwei 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Soma
Kaiwei himself should be having doubts! But really, it sort of makes sense. There are no cameras about, no officials to record the match...perhaps Soma knows something that he doesn't! Regardless of the circumstances, once the fight has begun, the Chinese man has no intention of simply giving it up. He was right! What tournament wouldn't place importance on fighting ability, once they were in? This whole thing is beginning to stink. ...Rather, more than it already had. The very thought causes half of his mind to wonder if going along with this is the best of ideas. The other half tells him to be quiet, he has to defend himself.
With his arm already extended, it moves alongside Soma's own, against it, easing it slightly off-course. His other hand moves up, open-palmed, meeting his closed fist before it reaches his chin. A gentle nudge of the offending fist, an easy sway back of the head, and the elder fighter not only avoids the blow, but attempts to turn the situation to his advantage! Bending both hands at the wrist, he attempts to grab hold of the man's arm, pull it back, then push it away, simply trying to move his entire upper body in a smooth back and forth pattern. And then, after a couple of rounds? Kaiwei himself would move, his left leg sweeping out and away as he pivots on the other, hoping to use that momentum to flip Soma over, fully, and onto his back!
COMBATSYS: Kaiwei successfully hits Soma with Quick Throw.
- Power hit! -
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Kaiwei 0/-------/-------|=====--\-------\0 Soma
Apparently a week plus in the hospital didn't do much for Soma's reflexes... or maybe they were just never very good in the first place. Either way, he doesn't pull his arm back quite fast enough and is easy fodder for Kaiwei's attempt at a throw, which not only sends the undercover agent onto his back but also quite nicely bounces his head off the concrete with an unpleasant-sounding *crack*. When Soma finally gets to his feet, he gingerly puts a hand to the back of his skull and frowns. No blood, at least... but he's seeing stars, and more.
"At least you're doing what I asked," he growls, deciding not to attack for the moment. The sting of pain through his entire body is one motivator... the suddenly blurry vision is another. But there seems to be a good crowd of people watching now, and that was what he wanted. Public reputation be damned, he supposes, watching the Chinese man carefully.
COMBATSYS: Soma focuses on his next action.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/-------|=====--\-------\0 Soma
Kaiwei...the man winces a little, quick, fluid steps taking him backward, arms remaining out in front of him. They drift, up, down, moving in time with his breathing, hands flattened and vertical. That is, until they bent, palms half-out, one slipping further out as the other draws back a little. His lips are pulled down at the corners, the lower lip jutting out in a slightly mild pout. "I did warn you, young man. You should be careful. An accomplished fighter needs to ease back into things, slowly!" As if the crack against the ground wasn't bad enough, now there's the berating. But no matter what, it's sound advice! ...Right?
Still not entirely privy to this plan, he keeps his distance. Were he truly wanting to hurt Soma, now would be a perfect chance...but he waits. His feet move apart, nearly shoulder-length, but one far behind the other. His left arm draws back behind him as well, the other lifting up, hand bent downward, looking somewhat like a snake. He lowers his center of gravity, and for now, simply...waits. There's no sense in rushing things, here. That's counterintuitive.
COMBATSYS: Kaiwei takes no action.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/-------|=====--\-------\0 Soma
Something about the way that gets said... grates on the undercover agent's nerves. And yet he can't do anything about it. Jinchuu is more than just a fighting tournament, to Soma, an individual who has absolutely no investment in actually winning it. It's an inroad to a small group of people with what he can only call no respect for other living beings whatsoever. Something about that *offends* him. And personal health be damned, he's going to do something about it. He really doesn't have any antipathy toward Kaiwei, and yet...
And yet...
Soma's hands drop to his sides, the dagger he was using just a second ago gone to... wherever they come from, and in each of his palms a silver light begins to glow, then coalesce into 'daggers' of light, the edges crackling with black. "Don't let your guard down just because you think I'm hurt," Soma bites out, dashing forward. Once he gets in range he slashes both daggers through the air, 'cutting' toward Kaiwei's torso. The knives themselves, being made of Psycho Power, don't actually 'cut' anything... but they deliver a punch all their own regardless.
Just remember, he tells himself. The worse this man beats you, the better the plan goes.
And yet...
COMBATSYS: Soma successfully hits Kaiwei with Gemini.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-
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Kaiwei 0/-------/----===|=====--\-------\0 Soma
And that is what Kaiwei's generosity gets him: stabbed in the chest! Were Soma cruel enough to use a real blade, the elder man would be laid up in the hospital, rather than the other way around. Even as the attack comes, even as the small man's weight shifts backward, arm already trying to coil around the attacking one...it doesn't help. Not in the slightest. The blades, incorporeal though they may be, rip 'through' clothing, flesh, and bone, sending nerves ablaze with potent energy. While there may be no bleeding, the pain is lasting, drawing a loud and, one must say, quite undignified screech of a yell! That was NOT how he had planned things!
Additionally, his cool demeanor falters. A step or two sends him stumbling back until his heel digs into the ground, upper body swaying back, to the side, and then forward. All the while, his knees bend forward, bringing him low to the ground before he--well, before he pounces. That's all that it can be called! His legs act as springs, right hand swinging out with its fingers curled as if claws themselves, making a slashing motion for Soma's midsection. They might tear cloth, they might actually scrape skin, but there would be no wound too deep...they ARE only fingers, after all! Still, there's another from his left, this one coming straight in, attempting to actually lift the 'officer' up and to the side, an obvious attempt to fling him back to the the ground.
Well, what do you want...? He panicked!
COMBATSYS: Soma interrupts The Stalker's Claw from Kaiwei with Medium Strike.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/--=====|=======\-------\1 Soma
It probably wasn't the most honorable way of doing things, Soma has time to reflect as he pulls back from Kaiwei. But this isn't exactly an honorable tournament either, is it? His face actually spreads into a ragged grin as he realizes his best chance of making this work is really... to become the bad guy. Strange but true. Of course, it's also time to step up into phase two of his plan, and he leans his mouth down toward his collar as Kaiwei springs toward him, saying sotto voce: "Now."
All hell breaks loose as a result.
Kaiwei's initial clawing motion does indeed reach Soma's stomach, tearing through the tight-fitting grey shirt and causing the agent to grunt in pain... but he immediately snaps out a hand and catches the other hand, the incoming one, around the wrist, yanking the Chinese man close. At the *same* time, there is a sound rather like a gunshot from... somewhere, and a fire hydrant slightly to the fighters' left suddenly explodes upward in a flume of water, the top having been blown off by... something. There are screams of panic as people scatter at the sound of gunfire. Street fights are one thing, common in Metro... snipers are another.
Meanwhile Kaiwei has Soma in close, and the agent speaks in a quiet voice, as rapidly as he can while being sensible. "People saw us start fighting. But there's about to be some confusion as to what happens at the end. Keep it up. And for the record..." With a considerable degree of force, Soma suddenly drives his elbow into Kaiwei's sternum, breaking the two apart. "...I'm genuinely sorry."
Is Kaiwei surprised? Most certainly. It's not often that a fire hydrant all but explodes next to you. His concentration is thoroughly shot, thoughts fragmented and arguing loudly in his skull, two sides warring over what, exactly, to do about this situation. Fighting is one thing, but GUNSHOTS? All the money in the world isn't worth dying over, and when he's grabbed, pulled, he struggles in an unsuccessful attempt to get away. "Unhand me! I may be old, but I'm not old enough to die yet!" Obviously, the smart thing to do is GET AWAY. But for all the yelling he does, it comes to a slow, uneasy pause when this...it's not an explanation, but it's something. Something that he doesn't completely understand, something that...distracts him enough to get an elbow thrust into his chest. THAT does the trick of sending him back, landing on his rear in wet grass, coughing and wheezing! How awful.
But, he's not stupid enough to simply stay down. Nor does he advance. Not JUST yet. What exactly did the man mean...? This distraction, it was planned? "Shut up, I don't understand this either!" he snaps, once more to the unheard voice. Both of his hands readjust his cap, his face taking on a frumpy look. This is far beyond what he was expecting, and he's having his first real doubts about this tournament. If this is how it's going to be through the whole way...perhaps he should rethink this. "Keep it up..." It's a mutter, an affirmation to himself, before he sighs. "Young people are so stupid..." Finally, he makes his way back in, the steps long and careful. His center of gravity is high until he's a step away, at which point he ducks low--no, it's more of a bob. Lifting back up, oth arms extend in two open-palmed strikes; one aimed for Soma's chest...the other, for his chin.
COMBATSYS: Soma blocks Kaiwei's Stealing Tiger's Meal.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/-======|=======\==-----\1 Soma
Gritting his teeth -- and starting to get a little wet from the spray of the hydrant -- Soma struggles to keep his footing at Kaiwei attacks, driving one palm down into the strike intended for his chest and putting his forearm in the path of the other, more telling blow. He's been hit in the head enough lately, thank you. It certainly stings a bit, but it could be a lot worse. And it puts the two in close proximity again. "I'm going to change the venue a little bit, sir," Soma says, almost cheerfully. "I hope you don't mind."
Ducking away from Kaiwei, Soma suddenly sets off at a run... a fairly fast one too, considering. His target appears to be the fire escapes in a nearby gap between two buildings of the hospital campus. But he doesn't leave without a parting gift; as he runs he turns and, in a flick of the wrist, hurls a silver-glowing object -- a throwing spike, no longer than the average writing pen -- toward Kaiwei. Once it connects with something, be it Chinese old man or random scenery, the spike explodes in a burst of silver and black Psycho Power.
Meanwhile, police have arrived on the scene to start herding back onlookers and canvas the area for the sniper. Except one of them... who heads toward the hospital door, then to the alley. In fact, if Kaiwei gives chase to Soma, he finds the cop doing something particularly weird...
...cupping his hands to give the old man a leg up jumping to the fire escape.
COMBATSYS: Kaiwei reflects Nova EX from Soma with Rooster Tail Hides the Sun.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/-======|=======\==-----\1 Soma
So, his hands are stopped, Kaiwei's feet actually squeaking against the wet grass as he's stopped. Already, his arms begin to follow up, to come together and--wait. There's...there's nothing there to grab, now, as Soma has turned and run! Stunned, surprised, the Chinese man stands where he is, arms still up and out, trying to figure out just where this fight went wrong! All thoughts of outsmarting the Powers That Be are throw right out the window; he's lost, he's confused, and he has a silver needle coming right at him.
Wait. Silver needle! The glint snaps his slim eyes open wide, hands moving to try and catch the thing. As it draws close, even his muddled mind realizes that it's special. It's not a metal needle, it's...it's something else. The same energy that struck his chest earlier! Energy that, even now, left an awful, awful ache in his chest, compounded by the man's elbow. The projectile passes the palm of his hand, but before it strikes his forarm, it...bends, following the path of his limb, moving across his chest. The explosion is little more than a shimmer of black and silver, a seemingly violent reaction that, as it curls down his other arm, settles with a bright orange glow...and fires off the tip of his outstretched hand, returning to its master looking for all the world as it did originally! Just...orange.
However, the gush of water, sprews out unabated for now, the pin disappearring into the mist. Did it work? Did it not?! ...He really has no choice but to run after him! "Young man! Young man, if you're going to fight, fight seriously!!" Really! This is just odd! It's even MORE odd when he has to stop and look around, just to find Soma waiting for him. "...What ARE you doing, you crazy boy?!"
COMBATSYS: Kaiwei successfully hits Soma with Reflected Nova EX.
- Power hit! -
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Kaiwei 0/-------/-======|=======\====---\1 Soma
...he didn't follow.
With a sigh, Soma begins to realize that Kaiwei does not appear to be the sharpest tack in the box. Yes, the man seemed to get the general idea that there was a plan in place, but... for crying out loud, don't sit around screaming 'where are you?!' after he said he was moving the location of the fight!
Determined to do something about it, the undercover agent hooks the blade of one wire-dagger around the barred floor of the fire escape he's standing on and ties the other to his ankle as quickly as he can. Then he... well, freefalls off the fire escape down toward street level.
To find orange energy flying right at him.
The projectile had actually been a fire-and-forget tactic for Soma, who blinks at the return shot in confusion... and when it strikes him, which it must do since he can't exactly get out of the way, he isn't so much injured as confused, apparently. Instead he looks at Kaiwei with a long-suffering sigh. "Come up. Up to the roof. They can't keep that distraction going for long." The 'policeman' who was in here before continues to cup his hand so Kaiwei has a leg up... Soma, meanwhile, unties the hilt of the wire-dagger from his leg and, rebounding off the lower fire escape, begins bouncing upwards in a highly acrobatic manner, snatching the dagger off the higher ledge as he goes.
COMBATSYS: Soma gains composure.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/-======|=======\==-----\1 Soma
How mean! Kaiwei, he's...just not stupid, he's just old and easily-confused! He's often under a lot of pressure, and he has to think about his children--oh, his poor, many children--and how to take care of them, only a fire hydrant exploded, his opponent is running and having him follow, and he's already mentally ill and oh dear, the person offering to help him up to the roof is a giant, fuzzy panda bear in his eyes. The stress, it seems, is not helping. "E...easy, mister Panda bear..." The older man tentatively accepts the help, and once he's hoisted to the fire escape ladder, he...well, he hauls ass up there. Bears can be nice, but they can turn on you just as easily!
When he finally arrives on the roof, he's no less confused, but he takes a minute to shuffle over to some vent, some outcropping or another, and lean against it, attempting to gather his wits and his breath. "Young man, can you PLEASE," he pleads, quite openly and with more than a touch of exasperation to his voice, "tell me what is going on?! Why are we up here, when we should be escaping the people with guns??"
COMBATSYS: Kaiwei gains composure.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/--=====|=======\==-----\1 Soma
It's actually much higher than it appears from the ground... certainly high enough that the chaos down on the street seems worlds away. Soma is waiting for Kaiwei, and there is something about the undercover agent's bearing that seems... different, compared to when he was down on street level. More composed, anyway. But also maybe more serious; or, at the very least, more focused.
"No," Soma says carefully, almost gently. With a flicker of movement his daggers fall into his hands, glinting silver in the fading daylight. "I really can't, Mr. Ma, sorry. But I just wanted to say you've played your part beautifully. And really, by all means... get back to Southtown, get on the boat. I don't want all of this to have been for nothing." For someone who claimed he didn't like cloak and dagger, the ICPO agent is certainly doing a good enough job of it.
Suddenly, the air is split with the roar of helicopter blades in the distance. Not anywhere close right now, but the sound tends to carry, especially at this height. "I made a lot of arrangements for this, so let's give them one last good show and call it a day!" Driving forward, Soma suddenly swings upward with the right-hand dagger, a wild crescent slash through the air that's followed by a second blow as he spins and drives forward with his left hand, driving the hilt (rather than the blade) of the offhand knife toward Kaiwei's stomach. A big, telegraphed move... but of course, that's the whole point.
COMBATSYS: Kaiwei blocks Soma's Fierce Strike.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Kaiwei 0/-------/-======|=======\===----\1 Soma
And there Kaiwei stands, one arm still against the big metal vent he's leaned against, the other resting on his hip while he catches his breath. "Played my..." His head cants, only slightly, taking great care to listen. Not to the choppers, not to the commotion down below, but to the voices debating in his head. If he knew more about Soma, then this might be easier to piece together! However, he doesn't...so for all he knows, the man is part of the Jinchuu himself, testing him to see if he can make it. But then...this is all a bit elaborate for such a thing! But as soon as he stands on his own again, before he can speak...this opponent, this...whatever he is, comes screaming in, knives at the ready!
With the brief respite, Kaiwei's body can, at the very least, start to move fluidly once more. He sways back and to the side, one hand quick to catch the slashing hand by the wrist and deflect it gently away. The other is not so easily avoided; the hilt clubs hard against his side, hard enough to jar a rib and leave a nasty, awful-looking bruise later. Still! With a pained groan, a breathy exhale of rushed air, he attempts to simply...push Soma off to his side, but not without a present. Every good turn deserves another, isn't that how it goes?
If he can set Soma off-balance, if he can push him past and turn quickly enough...both of the old Chinese man's hands will push forward in an even, sweeping motion, pressed gently against his back...and attempt to blast him away as a glut of bright orange energy erupts from his open palms, a simple, concussive blast that swells out fiercely, airbag-like, before dissipating just as quickly!
COMBATSYS: Soma overcomes Black Tiger's Savagery from Kaiwei with Supernova.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Soma
As Kaiwei and Soma clash, the helicopter noise has drawn steadily closer, and steadily louder. In fact, by the time the ICPO agent has ducked away and Kaiwei is preparing his projectile attack, the noise is deafening... mostly because the damned thing is rising over the lip of the building just as the orange blast starts heading toward Soma.
"Sorry!" the Fighting Novelist shouts over the noise, sweeping his hand up in front of him, a bevy of those glowing throwing spikes fanned out between his knuckles. In another time and place, Soma himself probably WOULD be a ninja. As it is, he's just a pesky individual with an interest in justice. "My ride's here!" Sweeping his hand forward at lightning speed, he hurls the handful of throwing knives at the oncoming projectile. A few catch the orange energy and, in a burst of silver and orange light, dissipate it; a few more head on toward Kaiwei, helpfully deterring pursuit. The old man's shown himself to be fairly resilient, after all; Soma is confident this wouldn't do more than scratch him regardless.
However, once the knives are thrown, Soma backs towards the edge of the roof... and then flips over the side. Oh, dear.
COMBATSYS: Soma successfully hits Kaiwei with Supernova.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Soma
It's one thing to stop a single projectile, a single silvery 'knife' flying toward him...but multiple ones? Kaiwei, he does his best, he really does! His little eyes widen, left foot sweeping out and back, both of his hands together and moving in a sweeping, half-moon motion to try and deflect the attack, to brush them aside! But he's too slow; he can't sweep fast enough, and the whole batch manages to slip, scarcely, under his hands, each sinking deep into various parts of his chest. The shrill little cry out may be unsettling...after all, he IS a grown man...but it does the job! Ma completely halts his attack, makes no effort to follow. Instead, he staggers back, eventually leaning heavily against the metal device that had lent him its support earlier. The previous energy attack hurt...these don't hurt AS much, but now his entire chest is aflame, nerve endings riddled with pain that may or may not truly exist, his brain alive with dull, deep-rooted pain. A hand stays on his chest, and his jaw is sort of slacked, the man visibly winded and blurry-eyed as he squints!
"Wai...wait!" How delightful! His opponent, he just...jumped off of the building after holding him at bay. Why? Why would he do such a thing? For a second, he's still, stunned, his head throbbing as it tries to keep up. When he opens his eyes, the sky is ...it's a mass of violent, the clouds green masses of daschunds, running happily across their expansive bathroom. No...this isn't very good at all. Instead of moving to the edge of the building, he drops down, seated, where he KNOWS it's safe, holding his head and trying, god how he tries, to force the hallucinations away!
COMBATSYS: Kaiwei takes no action.
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Kaiwei 0/-------/=======|===----\-------\0 Soma
When the proverbial smoke clears, it's like the ending of an action movie. Kaiwei stands atop the roof, alone. Below, police try their best to find out what's happened, the fire hydrant having been brought under control by a MCFD engineer with a replacement cap. Thankfully, no civilians were hurt... simply a little spooked. The helicopter noise has died away as the chopper has obviously left the scene.
Of course, only a few people know that the sniper, the 'cop' who helped Kaiwei, and the helicopter pilot -- as well as many others on this scene today -- are all ICPO plants, agents from the Americas brought in the second Soma received his card from Jinchuu. A little preparation never hurt... and with some cooperation from the Metro emergency services and a promise that nobody would be injured, the plan was set before Kaiwei even walked in the door of Metro Memorial. Plus, the Chinese man is now free to return to Southtown and angle to board the Suiryuu!
Meanwhile, a long way distant from Metro itself, in the sky... a breathless Soma Travedi, hanging from one of the chopper's landing struts by one of his wire daggers looped around it, hauls himself up with the help of the chopper crew, then slumps into an interior seat, looking back toward Metro. "I feel bad for that old man," he murmurs, stowing his dagger and thanking his 'crew'.
"But I guess... it can't be helped."
Log created on 18:32:34 08/21/2007 by Soma, and last modified on 15:49:53 08/24/2007.