Description: Thanksgiving Night. The Daniel Jack was on the trail of the Mad Gear, but like his fish taco, it was filled with nothing but red herrings. The only lead that tastes regular was an old warehouse where Interpol dug up the U.S.P.L... and Rolento. The detective finally gets his hooks into the fish he wants, but like that old man and his sea, sometimes your prize can be a Pyrrhic victory, at best. (Guest Starring Megatron as Holly Wood)
Fish. The most common seafood. It might compete with shrimp, but Daniel Jack didn't care. Shrimp was horrible, like a giant cockroach of the ocean. And some of the local even ate them raw. Worst yet, the detective just couldn't stop getting the Freudian vibe from them. Eating them was like eating tiny, foul-tasting bugs of various phallic undertones. Daniel was both too tasteful and heterosexual to enjoy such a thing. As such, it brought him a important mission.
To find the perfect fish taco.
Daniel slowly dug his tongue between the tortillas edges, scooping up the delicious Mahi Mahi that laid between them. Mango and fish filled his maw, erupting a gentle burst of the sweet nectar of island fruit with a rush of tangy delights. Daniel took a deeper bite, letting the goodness of the Downtown delicacies fill his mouth. The private eye nods his head, leaning back on against a wall.
The street was very empty, mostly because of the time of year, partially because of the reputation. Daniel Jack had two purposes of being this deep in the city this late at night. The first was to enjoy a true inner city Thanksgiving: obscure food. Turkey was not Daniel's favorite. But with most major stands shut off, Daniel had trouble finding something in his price range that was... unique. But there was something else for Daniel to do. For the longest time, he was trying to dig up on a rumor. Mad Gear was in Southtown. He heard it, and found no evidence of such. No rumors. No nightmares. Only thugs, and Naerose. And the Scarlet Witch was only a minor threat. A normal detective would have given up by now. But Daniel wasn't a normal detective. He had an associates degree from a prestigious diploma mill. So he did the only other thing he could think of to sniff out the Mad Gears.
Read old police reports about incidents.
There was only one incident he found. An old site where an old bust broke out. There was nothing special about it, except the cast members. An ex-con turned con and an ex-cop turned murderer broke apart a para-military operation, where a certain world-criminal was lurking. A certain Rolento. Daniel knew the name, and he sensed that there was something, anything near the old warehouse. After all, both of the hunters were criminals, and Rolento never was caught. That just REEKED of corruption. And since this place didn't have the guiding hand of Hagger...
Daniel eyed the old warehouse, finishing the taco off with a long slurp. Shoving off the wall, he fixed his trenchcoat's collar up, and began to walk towards the fencing that surrounded the warehouse. It was time for digging up clues.
This warehouse looks old. Decrepit. But not abandoned. There are multiple signs to a discerning private eye that it is more then meets the eye, much like transformers. The chain fence has opened and closed multiple times lately, mayhaps even in the past week. There is no debris surrounding the interior, sharply contrasted by the junk that leans upon the opposite side. Razor wiring is a bit too new, tightly coiling about the perimeter. Lastly, multiple spotlights are still very much operational, casting almost all of the intervening smooth concrete between the fence to the building proper in bright light. At first glance, it wouldn't bring any attention to a civilian. But Daniel Jack is no simple civilian!
The building is mayhaps fourty yards by twenty yards, stretching up a couple stories. The ridged siding has rusted in many places, windows only visible at the very top -- dirtied and almost useless to be seen through, all closed tight. There is a massive pair of sliding doors to admit trucks and vehicles, but both have padlocks on them. Two smaller side doors are evident, one near the front and one near the back. All this place needs is a routine patrol by thugs to finish the atmosphere that is painted. It's being used, and doubtlessly by anything legitimate. A ladder stretches to the rooftop at one side.
However, there is a location to enter. The corner of a fence has partially pulled away; although the razorwire was retrofitted, they did not replace all of the fencing, likely so it would draw less attention. If one didn't care about squirming on one's stomach, they could get through. Similarly, there is a narrow path of darker shadows if one approached the building from a corner. Both any ace detective could exploit. But what about the two doors, doubtlessly locked?!
Daniel's primary concern wasn't the the fencing. It wasn't huge deal. It could be argued that he was an expert on breaking and entry. It was just like with breaking into barns. The most important things are pretty straight forward. Avoid the lights, and when his daughter points you out, accuse of racial profiling. But this was not a place were the racism of rednecks could be applied. Instead, it was an abandoned warehouse with an excellent upkeep record. This was NOT suspect. Of course not. Daniel rolled his eyes. These men were obviously used to those GED detectives. But not a full-fledged graduate one.
Daniel Jack eyed the ladder, and traced a path along through the shadows. There were holes from the spotlights, but there it was. A long line of shadows from the corners to the fence. Daniel might have chuckled if he was an amateur. Instead, he stared grimly at the fencing, and burped a fishy burp from the depths of his throat. Immediately, he walked towards the corner, reaching in his coat. Pulling out a small silver flask, he takes a long swig. He looks confused for a moment, and then inspects the flask.
Rolling his eyes, he unscrews the lid, and then takes a quick swig of the cask. Screwing the lid back on, he looks down at the corner of the fencing. It was a tight fit. These were tight threads. The detective bent low, adjusting his flask inside his coat. Daniel thought carefully about his options. And then, he scowled. There was only one logical option.
Winding both hands back, his hands began to glow lightly with a neon orange glow. Positioning them high, he projects a single wave of chi energy. With the intensity that only Todoh could instill, he unleashes the wave with a firm, downward motion. The Kasane Ate shoots downward, cleaving the fence apart gently. Opening it up slightly, he slips through, entering the shadows. And from there, he lurked carefully, eyeing the ladder through the lights. He would need to move faster. But first, another visual sweep. These places had some upkeep, some value. And if a location has worth, it would have people to protect it.
There's no sign of the people who might be protecting this place. In fact, if they are keeping a particularly close eye on the outside, it's not apparent. These safeguards might simply be a deterrant from curious snoops and trespassers; without being able to see the records for the building, it's impossible to know if anyone is legitimately occupying the facility. Yet the ladder looks more or less safe enough to go up, and there should be an aboveground access that is a good deal more subtle to force open then the front door. Left and right is a lot of nothing, beyond the rusted wall and smooth well-kept concrete surrounding the warehouse. Yet there is a booted footprint near one of the doors. From a large male. Military issue. Recent, days at most. The first clue!
Military boots mean many things to Daniel Jack. Para-Military was the first thing that came to mind. With the information gathered by his research, that was the most likely. Secondary was punk teens. Jack boots was VERY popular thug wear. Tough, intimidating, and comfortable. Laces were a jerk, though. But so were the type of civvies that donned them. Eyeing the footprint, Daniel thought of the most likely situation of either. Arms trade, headquarters, meeting site. The detective casually hustle out in the open. His love of living hoped for meeting, his curiosity begged for the former two.
Daniel reaches in his coat, and pulls out a small camera. A muted click goes off as Daniel takes a picture of the site. Pulling the camera away from his face, he scurries low towards the footprint. He takes another photo, and then hurries to the ladder. Tucking the camera back in, he works his way up at careful, steady pace.
He knew that being out in the open for a long time was dangerous. But on the other hand, there were no casual checks. No patrols meant unless there was a reason to look, they wouldn't look. That reason would be a noise, a sound. As such, audio stealth took priority of visual stealth. Moving quietly up to the rooftop, he slinks up easily, and inspects the rooftop. Breaking in would be risky, but if he could peek in before breaking in, that would be optimal.
There is two large glass enclosures; these are likely to light up the interior during the day without needing excessive electricity. These are as dirty as anything else, but a bloom of light is still visible through it. They are closed, but were he to go and investigate closer, four figures are settled within the center. It's incredibly empty inside, really; only a ratty collapsible card table, with men surrounding it. Even the most careful scrubbing only gives hints of colors. Yellow suits, red hats. One in a red suit with a red hat. From poise they are probably playing a game of cards. Not expecting a lick of trouble, but also incredibly suspicious. A simple trapdoor in a corner seems to be the method of entry, although it has an oddly cheap padlock upon it. Given it's shiny and new, someone was likely really cheap about securing it. Of course, even crappy metal is still metal.
Daniel approached the light enclosures with a low profile. He was suspect as well, but cautious. Peering into the room, he was relieved, disappointed, and intrigued. Well dressed men, and only four of them. It did look like a para-military operation, down with the full military uniform which is what the suits meant. Don't ask WHY they are military uniforms despite saying suits. Uniforms mean suits. DUH. And they were even playing cards. He pulled out his camera, and began twiddling with it. He wanted to make sure the flash was off. He wasn't THAT dumb. His stupidity would need to be proved other means.
Taking a few quick pictures, he pulled back. All he managed to do so far was confirm that this warehouse, indeed, had activity. But he needed something else. Something better to make anything suspicious. They could be a bunch of snazzy Joes and Johns round about for a regular game of poker as they were on leave. He needed to listen in. And unfortunately, it was too high for that.
His eyes drifted towards the trap door, and by proxy, the padlock. His eyes narrowed. Slinking over to the doorway, he slipped the camera back in his coat. He studies the lock carefully. A padlock. An empty rooftop. And plenty of time. Looked like it was time for bone daddy's keyring. Rummaging in his pockets, he pulled out a small ring of hooks and wires. He jingles them lightly, looking from lock to ring. With a hushed groan, he begins to apply the lockpicks very carefully.
And then less carefully.
Ummmmm this might take a while.
The lock is very cheap. However, so is Daniel. Just because it's almost useless doesn't mean the man fiddling with it is any less useless. A true battle of titans, but through luck and shoddy workmanship, it grudgingly turns and clicks open. Some time passed, but if he eases the rusting grate up, the tiny squeaks and groans of metal on metal aren't sufficient to draw any attention from this distance, assuming he wasn't foolish enough to be overly quick. Another ladder leads down within the warehouse; an ascended railed walkway surrounding the office, with a large window on each side. It's dark within, housing many file cabinets and a desk with bright red phone. Some distance down the path is the staircase. It's indeed dark, the only light coming from the electric lamp balanced on an adjacent crate. There's not many of said crates, maybe a twentieth needed for so large an area. But one is open, and is filled to the brink with AK-47's, ammunition, and cheap explosives.
The four men on the table are talking too low. They murmur, but it's unintelligable murmuring. Although the man in the red does smack the person next to him so hard his beret flies off, giving a squeak of protest. Mr. Red starts laughing in a cruel fashion. Such a bully. He's by far the most well built of the merry group.
Daniel inner value is set by two things. Himself, and the WAY of TODOH. And the indominable spirit of the traditional arts is just icing on the big brownie that is the Daniel Jack. And cheap? If by cheap, you meant not using Kasane Ate to solve all his problems... well, that would be a good argument.
However, the lack of Kasane Ate didn't mean utter failure. The lock surrenders, and Daniel finally smirks. With the gentle skills that only months with the barns of Western Nebraska could bring, Daniel eases the trap door open, slowing down even more at the first little squeak. He needed to keep the audio down. Slowly easing down the ladder, he sweeps the warehouse room. This was risky territory now. He needed to keep low, and keep quiet. Anything that triggered their attentions would be VERY bad short term. The way of Todoh could do many things, but the PI did NOT want to take on four men. And judging by the actions of the man in red, that might be a good thing.
On the other hand, judging by the actions of the other man, it might not be so tough.
Daniel eases himself on the walkway, bringing out his camera. While the ammo crate was a top priority of juicy facts, it was a difficult prize. The office, on the other hand, could provide a wide range of details, and even records. He slinks towards the door of the office, handling the doorknob carefully to check if it is locked.
No attention is paid to the subtle work of the camera. One laughs loudly at something, but Mr. Red seems to be unhappy about it, so shoves the tittering man in yellow clear off his chair. He goes sprawling, which the other two find equally hilarious. It seems he is demanding a new deal now. The cool metal of the doorknob jiggles freely, which opens up too much innuendo to exploit...
But Daniel isn't a man of innuendo. He treat his love the same way he treats his drink. Hard. Direct. Often requiring more proof than recommended, and usually where ever he can find it. Gently pushing the door open, he slips into the room, keeping low to the ground. With a gentle counter-movement, he shuts the door, letting it close quietly. Now, it was time for detecting.
The first thing that Daniel does... is inspect the desk. Primarily, the phone. There was nothing that Daniel hated more when the phone rang during an investigation. It always happened, and the meanest man ALWAYS ran up to pick it up, and Daniel would be forced into a tense, dramatic, or even hilarious situation as he hid in a random place, and just when he thought he could make it unnoticed, the guy would find him. No. NOT going to happen. In fact, he looks at the base of the phone, trying to find the phone line and simply undo it, whether by hooking it or by crooking it.
In other words, unplugging it, or if that fails, cut it.
The phone begins to loudly ring as Daniel is working with it. Down below, there's the angry sound of a deep, gutteral voice that can only be the huge man in red. "I'll fucking get it, you little wusses aren't allowed to touch that phone!" The sound is loud and shrill, seeming to stab violently at one's eardrums. Assuredly the man is working his way in this direction, and with the office door facing the crates he has no way of leaving without being seen, despite the darkness; the glass roof lets in too much starlight. Of course, there's more then a few areas to squat. The corner beside one of the broad filing cabits. Underneath the desk. Or taking the lampshade off and putting it atop one's head. Heavy steel boots clang angrily upon the steps of the walkway leading upwards. On the plus side, Daniel easily finds out how to remove the line if he cared to!
Of COURSE the phones goes off.
Daniel curses to himself, knowing the drama mounting. Already, there were two ways to break it. He could run, revealing his position. That may not break with it well. He wasn't known up till now. So that left only the other option.
By the time the big, nasty man made it to the office, Daniel would be.. not there. the phone would not be unplugged. Instead, he would be hiding under the desk, not making a move. Hopefully, the man wouldn't find him there. Overwise....
It would be time for TODOH.
The door bangs open loudly, as the red figure slips in. He flips on the lightswitch, which flickers a couple times. Approaching the desk, the chair is pulled back. Daniel gets a good sight of crimson pants, billowing at the thighs, tucked into black combat boots. His ass thumps upon it as the phone is plucked up, feet crossing on the desk. This does mean that he chose the right place, as the shadows were removed when he entered. "Holly Wood." is answered. A few seconds pass. "Jeez, I got here as fast as I could." Pause. "I was supposed to stay in the office? No, I wasn't playing poker!" He's still holding cards in his hand. He has rubbish, only two suits match and the highest is a nine. "Yeah, we went through and verified every crate." Daniel probably saw only one had been opened and ruffled through.
While the sight of bright red pants usually signaled a bad thing (or a very good thing), Daniel was very grateful than seeing the sneering face. Even better, he was in a great situation to spy in. For now. Optimism was no longer the dominant mindset right now. Holding in place, he glances at the hand. Well, at least the man was decent at bluffing.
Holly Wood. The name resonant in his mind. Holly Wood. Where did he hear that name before? I mean, short of the obvious. It was an unusual name, one that he vaguely remembered. But that was it. No further detail. He would need to listen further. Maybe his luck would hold out.
Riiiiight
Men with red berets. Holly Wood. Daniel, if he bothers with Metro City's history and Rolento Schugerg in particular, should now have the floating pieces come together. These are members of the U.S.P.L. A military force of unknown size and unknown funding. Linked to the Southtown Syndicate. Involved in arms smuggling, illegal recruitment, political manipulation, and various other vile practices. Primarily full of middle eastern extremists, mercenaries, and those who just want to hurt people. This man is a former organized crime thug, who lept on Rolento's rising star and hardarmed his way into a top position. "Listen, only fucking Schugerg can talk to me that way. You give me another order, I'll fucking tear your throat out!" He snarls the last bit. "Nobody's here! Nobody's fucking up this order!" A longer pause. "I'll get to fucking Mad Gear later. That truck better be here at midnight, or you'll be riding a fucking oilcan to the bottom of the ocean!!" He slams the phone down, sliding back out of his seat and standing up. "Piece of shit..." He slams a knife into the desk. It pierces through, steel jutting an inch from Daniel.
Daniel doesn't make the connection initially. While the USPL is connected, Daniel lacked that benefit. The Syndicate doesn't exist in his world, only the little gangs of the Southtown. Daniel managed to keep his cool focus until he hears the name Schugerg. That was a very bad name. That name meant Rolento. Rolento Schugerg was a VERY bad name. USPL was a very bad experience for Daniel Jack, and his knowledge of him was being in the militarized field of thuggery was first-hand. Of course, that was NOTHING compared to the final portion.
Mad Gear. Mad Gear was in Southtown.
Daniel bites his tongue, swallowing his fear. The entire Metro City monster was sinking into Southtown. And here he was right in the whole nest. And a shipment line. Thoughts rush through his head. He had to get out, and trail the truck. If he could get out. Hopefully, Holly Wood here would return to his game. And he would slip out the trap door...
Daniel Jack's thought stop suddenly. The knife penetrates the desk. The man just goes cold. Fear was replaced with nothing. Pure apathy. He looks cross-eyed, focusing on the blade a inch from his face. A hornets nest was forming here in Southtown, and his hands were covered with the honey. All he needed to do is slip out in one piece. And not loose his cool. Nothing good can come from losing his cool.
Holly Wood has difficulty yanking the knife free. And this is what damns Daniel. Well, and the rather eyecatching color he seems to care to wear on such sensitive investigations. The U.S.P.L. soldier glances towards it, cursing as he strains his arm to pry it out. Wood creaks, before it stops, seeing a flash of color in the deep shadows. A few long, heavy seconds. Then a tone that is almost disbelieving. "What the fuck?" Holly Wood drops to one knee, peering under the desk. His face is such open, blatant surprise that it's probably absolutely comical. What might take place in the immediate future isn't known, but the cat's out of the bag. On the plus side, Daniel gets first swipe of his paws.
The cat was out of the bag, but at least all cats were grey in the dark. Daniel Jack keeps visually cool while cursing the nearest deity in sight. Well, that must be YOU, lucky reader. YOU are the one that cursed Daniel. For shame. For such horrid shame. But at least, despite your cruelty, there is hope for Daniel Jack. For as he looked upon the local commander, there was only one answer.
The unstoppable SPIRIT of the traditional WAY of TODOH!
Daniel scowls at the man, adjusting his body position. "Surprised, scuzzy?" Was the statement as Daniel deadpans flat out, facing Holly Wood straight. "Quick, suck in fast." Was the mutter as the detective leapt right for the man, attempting to not only tackle him to the ground, but initiate a stranglehold, forcing Holly in keeping his voice down. The other men were going to show up, the only control Daniel had was WHEN they did.
COMBATSYS: Holly Wood has started a fight here.
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Holly Wood 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Daniel has joined the fight here.
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Holly Wood 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Daniel
COMBATSYS: Holly Wood dodges Daniel's Mad Jack Crack.
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Holly Wood 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Daniel
Well, although Holly Wood is certainly a large man, he moves with a disturbing grace and speed for it all. He slithered backwards, managing to keep his feet before he hurled himself sideways, leaving Daniel to tackle a rather large amount of air for his trouble. And maybe hit his head on the wall opposite. The crimson figure dances lightly from one boot to the other, circling back to the desk to wrench his knife fully free and bring it up to his face, to lick the edge with a toothy grin. "Well, I'll be. This might not be boring after all. Who the hell are you, who sent you, and what do you want on your -tombstone?-" The latter is punctuated by him attempting to sweep one steel-toed boot and catch the recovering Daniel in the side, trying to kick him towards one of the file cabinets. So far, it'd be hard to tell if the three men downstairs notice the commotion as anything unusual...
COMBATSYS: Daniel endures Holly Wood's Light Kick!
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Holly Wood 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Daniel
Disturbing grace my foot. This was the same team that brought you Rolento. Daniel Jack, catching nothing but air, knew exactly what to do. NOT land face first. Tucking in a bit, he rolls with the impact. Naturally, he hits the wall, but safely. Snapping back, he perks in time to be greeted by the knife lust. Daniel doesn't have time to mock the swiftly-moving man. Instead, he balances himself out, moving into the Aikido form that the Todohs taught him. One hand forward, one hand behind it.
Reading the motions and the words, he shifts his attention over to the window and back. Unfortunately, he shifts back when Holly Wood brings down his kick. Feeling the leg coming to quick to dodge, he prepares to puncture the attack with one of his own. Advancing a step forward, he instead takes the kick hard. Daniel Jack slams hard into the file cabinet, feeling a sharp pain shoot up his back. But instead of collapsing, he bounces forward. "The name is -Pudding-, scuzzy" The detective began in a steady deadpan, bringing down a single hand chop towards Holly Wood's neck. And then, just as quickly, he punctures with an elbow jab with the opposite arm. "I'm digging with the -cool cats- down at the club. It seems some jolly jack wipe was bluffing with two skins under -nines-" He ends with a palm strike with the first hand, attempting to knock him back away from Daniel. "And I'd like nothing more than a young hot dame for my tombstone, -Holly-" He seethes, holding his palm out longer than he ought, staring at the man coldly, as if he was waiting for a response.
COMBATSYS: Holly Wood blocks Daniel's Zoot Suit Riot.
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Holly Wood 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Daniel
Holly Wood stares at Daniel, obviously not quite understanding what he's saying. "Are you fucking insane?" he offers, not immediately grasping the danger that the other man's partial absorption of the kick entails. He snaps his forearm almost awkwardly, catching the slamming palm with a distinct grunt of discomfort, staggering backwards. It seems he's not completely infallible in this, especially with the blossom of rage creeping upon his rugged features. "Holly WOOD." is stated, as he sweeps a hand into the crimson vest of his uniform. He then comes out with a bottle, filled with a disgusting liquid. A damp rag hands from the end. "Maybe you need to cool off..." A snap of light, as he swishes a match across it. The rag blooms into blue fire. "Or heat the hell up!!" Rearing back his arm, he then hurls the bottle at Daniel, spiraling head over heels. It detonates in a flash of glass, sending napalm-like flame in all directions, likely pooling across half the floor. It's very hot. And very tenacious. Hopefully, the other man doesn't get any on his swass suit! "But hey, I'll give you the dame, alright? Since I'm such a nice guy!" With thick smoke chokingly filling the office, it's doubtless the people downstairs will quickly realize something is up.
COMBATSYS: Daniel negates Molotov Cocktail from Holly Wood with Wobbly Wobbly.
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Holly Wood 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Daniel
Daniel's strikes are met with blocks, which doesn't faze the detective. All he had to do was not stop. The insults roll over him like hot wax over the back of your duck lover. The palm strike is unleashed, and Daniel just holds there, watch the man's movements. And then, he reaches into his vest. Daniel knew what was coming. The secret weapon.
Before the object is even shown, Daniel is snapping both hands in his coat. By the time the object is freed, Daniel's mind whirrs with the information streaming in. The right hand comes out first, holding a small stick-like object. And the other is a metallic blur as it snapped out, leveling with the oncoming cocktail.
*WOOSH*
The fluid scatters around, falling short of the detective and much more on the walls and desk. But not to say nothing touched him. In fact, Daniel steps from the burning inferno, a freshly lit cigarette in one hand, a small bull-pup revolver in the other. "Sorry, Holly," Daniel Jack begins, placing the cigarette in his mouth. "There ain't nothing hotter than this. I suggest you try the cool off, -scuzzy-" Daniel just puffs away, walking steadily towards the criminal.
That wasn't expected. Holly Wood just blanches when his molotov detonates in the distance between the pair, glancing to the inferno swirling upon the ground. The desk catches fire with an unsurprising speed, smell of melting plastic filling the cramped confines. The lone ventillation shaft isn't sufficient to keep the room breathable, and the tall man begins to cough, bringing up the back of his hand to his mouth and squinting through narrow eyes. Daniel seems a demon then, stepping through the orange shimmer with cigarette and gun. But he's not about to be so easily intimidated. He has the badass vibe of someone much more potent, but he felt the blow to his forearms, he saw the lunging tackle, he felt his foot sink into his ribs. Nah. Nah... Holly Wood manages a smile, not quite as confident looking as he feels. This man is the one who bit off more then he can chew. "I know something we can both agree on..." Suddenly his large hand shoots out, trying to catch the man by the face. To then twist, and /hurl/ him through an adjacent window. "We could use some fresh air!!" Trying to get some badass points of his own back. If Daniel is unlucky enough to take the full brunt of the hurl, he'd have to grasp the railing unless he wanted to fly over it and make a rather potentially boneshattering one story fall to unrelenting stone beneath.
COMBATSYS: Daniel blocks Holly Wood's Quick Throw.
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Holly Wood 0/-------/-------|==-----\-------\0 Daniel
Daniel Jack doesn't cough, though not to say he needs the air. He just prefers to take the horrible pain in his lungs instead of showing any weakness. Intimidation was his 2nd best friend in a fight. His first friend was the fantastic art of Todoh. Already, he was calming down a bit, letting the horrid atmosphere tear his lungs to shreds. When Holly Wood grabs him, Daniel doesn't really have the strength to struggle away. Instead, he just stares at the man.
And gets tossed through the window.
Well, if they didn't notice the fighting, Daniel Jack was certain they would notice now. Tucking in tight as he flew through, he brought his arms behind him and his feet down. Making contact with the rail, he balanced himself. The force wasn't too excessive, and Daniel kept some control. Already, he was struggling to keep himself up on the bar. The man inspected his trench coat. It wasn't that bad. Some burn makes, some cuts. It didn't have much purpose anymore... so it was time to bring in the style.
Daniel shook his head, whipping off the Trench Coat, revealing the suit underneath. "Well, boy howdy." Daniel began slowly, tapping his gun on his shoulder. "You really caught me solid. Oh well." He leveled the gun at Holly Wood. "Cherry red, my good man." He muttered, opening fire at the gangster. A single rubber-tipped bullet launched out, ruining the lethal effect. That left Holly, if he was hit, with the much less harmless 'being hit with a baseball bat' effect of the riot cop's best friend.
COMBATSYS: Holly Wood overcomes Wobbly Wobbly from Daniel with Medium Fling.
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Holly Wood 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Daniel
Indeed, as fragments of glass spill over the metal walkway, showering noisily down to clatter on the stone far beneath, all three men are now standing up and looking towards the pair. Yet they start to cheer, thrusting knives towards the ceiling with hoots and calls. "Fuck him up, Holly Wood!" "Gut him!" It seems they are intending to watch a show, rather then interfere. Unsurprising. The crimson man's ego and pride are obviously huge, and he'd not have it any other way. The door is kicked open, and Holly Wood hacks and coughs as he ducks his head beneath the plume of smoke that billows past towards the ceiling. He looks towards Daniel, letting out only a mild snort. He doesn't seem to judge the brazen colors too harshly. There might even be a tinge of respect! "Not a lot of people can wear that with such confidence." As the gun raises, his own hand moves to a quick draw. A slender knife is pulled free, booted foot sliding with a rasp across metal. He hurls it, twisting in the motion. Were bullet time in effect, the rubber slug would rocket towards his twisting face, grazing his cheek hard. As the spiraling knife roars forward, aiming to impact the other man's shoulder. Holly Wood manages to grasp the railing and prevent himself from swandiving into open air, which would of rather ruined the effect. "Ha!" Rolento teaches one thing well. Throwing knives.
COMBATSYS: Daniel slows Medium Fling from Holly Wood with Kasane Ate.
Glancing Hit
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Holly Wood 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Daniel
Daniel Jack wore it with confidence for a reason. Because no one wore it except stock gangsters in cool video games. And Daniel was no stock gangster. He was a detective in a world where detectives are forced to work for Interpol, or some secret international police force. But no private stuff. Seriously, when Mad Gear has to start something, they don't fight low-level guys like Daniel. Noooo. They have to wait for Haggar to show up and piledrive a truck into them. Daniel Jack is like a comforting break. Like running across Bred in Final Fight.
But now, the detective had a problem. For starters, the man dodged the bullet there. For seconds, the man was sending a knife right for his face. Daniel panicked. There was no way he could aim and hit that knife. What could he do? What SHOULD he do? Then, a voice in his head began to speak. "Daniel!" It began, appearing as if in the background of the warehouse, sitting on a crate behind the cheering thugs. "Use the Kasane Ate! The Way of Todoh will protect you." And with that, a firm, approving nod.
Daniel took one hand, and with a hurried motion, brought it down. With it, a moderately large wave of energy drops down parallel to it, deflecting the knife aside. The detective looks in awe at the one-handed strike, eyes wide. The knife grazes him as well, though the lack of rubber cuts a shallow wounds in his shoulder. Daniel doesn't even grab his shoulder. He just stares, letting it bleed. "Yeah. But when you go out, you go out in style, you dig?" Daniel takes a long draw of his cigarette, eyeing the man with a leer.
There's a dull nod, Holly Wood allowing a small smirk. "If you are gonna go out, it has to be in style. You're pretty tough. And you got a lot of balls to stick your nose in here. What do you say? Wanna work for me? You'll get more money and power then you know what to do with." Of course, negotiations are best used hand in hand with brute force. After all, they are still fighting until further notice. So he uses one of the legendary techniques, that even the heroes of Haggar would curse with shaked fists. He crouches down, then lunges upwards. Tucked into a ball, his right foot lashes out, descending onto the narrow metal walkway. He lands a meter short, only to sliiiiiiide the last of the distance, leading with his foot as the other pulls up beneath him. Arms defensively rise to cover his head and chest, and were he to impact Daniel the man would find it surprisingly energetic, enough to send him spiraling over with no small amount of pain. This is the art that the crimson suited elite soldiers in Rolento's army have mastered!!
COMBATSYS: Daniel blocks Holly Wood's Lunging Slide.
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Holly Wood 0/-------/-------|===----\-------\0 Daniel
Daniel Jack watches both the sales pitch and the acrobatics with a dull sense of attention. The whole 'join me and make my face the greatest in whateverdi. Or else, you shall DIE' thingie. Daniel was competent and independent enough to get that pitch from everyone, cops and robbers alike. But the thing was, well, Daniel just didn't dig that. Too restricting, to constraining, and just too much obligation. He liked having the freedom to do things on whim. And judging by how Holly Wood acts, it wouldn't be much of a management structure.
As the ultimate sliding attack runs by Daniel, he gets cut under. But the Way of Todoh doesn't break you without building you up. In the wake of the sliding tackle, Daniel feels himself being knocked over the edge. But then, the spirit of Todoh fills him. It must have been the Kasane Ate, opening his mind. He stops hard, rattling the entire walk way.
"Sorry, scuzzy." Daniel wound his arm back, following the Mad Gear gone Rolento'd with a cold stare. He flattened his hand, preparing what seems to be a normal knife strike. But as Holly Wood returned back up, Daniel Jack unleashed the knife blow. And with it, the ultimate power of Todoh. With this single strike, Holly Wood could find his entire skeleton liquify, to have all of his cardiovascular system explode from his anus, rocketing him into a wet smear on the ceiling. It would not be bloody, because all the blood would be shot from his anus. And as such, if such a blow landed true, it would likely destroy Holly Wood forever.
Or break a bone. Maybe.
COMBATSYS: Daniel successfully hits Holly Wood with World's Greatest Hand Chop.
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Holly Wood 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Daniel
There seems to be genuine surprise that his rampant slide doesn't utterly destroy Daniel. Much as if Daniel were to throw a Kasane Ate that an opponent laughed off, this is a significant event that underlines the potential danger in his opponent. On the downside, it's somewhat difficult to pull himself back up and regain his balance without allowing at least some advantage for his opponent. The descending hand is observed with wide eyes, and he starts to lunge backwards. But it hits him in the shoulder hard, with a loud THWACK like a pimp unleashing his rightful justice with the back of his hand on a ho. Down go those knees, cracking hard upon the metal. Holly Wood bows forward, elbow hitting the walkway, as if he were wishing to be annoited by a churchman. "...!!" His teeth are grit, as he moves to grasp his injured shoulder. "Ow." That's kind of an underwhelming response, really. But he's in a good position to hurl himself forward, trying to catch Daniel in the midsection. Were such to be managed, he'd try to whirl the man around, until his head faces mother earth. Then leap up, legs extending to plant his face upon the walkway, with all of Holly Wood's not insubstantial weight behind it. "HRRRGH!"
COMBATSYS: Daniel counters Hollywood Powerbomb from Holly Wood with Mad Jack Crack.
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Holly Wood 0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0 Daniel
Daniel Jack's spirit burned with a feisty light. The traditional arts filled him with both wisdom and fury, the Way of Todoh roaring through him like a storm over a raging river. As his hand chop lands violently upon the shoulder of Holly Wood, he could hear the sharp crash of the knees upon metal. His face tensed up, his eyes burning with a white-rage fury, but his lips just kept tight and bitter, eating up every moment.
But then, Holly leaps at him. Daniel shifted his weight to the center. He shoved his hands forward, meeting the oncoming man with a catch. Feeling the man enter his arms, Daniel suddenly switches around, sending the gangster and himself to the ground. Getting a tight grip, he lets Holly Wood land facefirst, and Daniel positions himself on top. Whipping his arm around, he puts the man in a chokehold, attempting to choke the fight out of him, forcing him into a surrender. At least, that would leave his henchmen to deal with. Heavens knows how hard THEY will be.
The Way of Rolento is a bit different, for sure. It involves leaping around in a spastic manner, and throwing knives. Given they are stuck upon a catwalk surrounding an office suspended near the roof inside a two story warehouse, that is not particularly useful in and of itself. This is confirmed as he's strangled, squirming with a few angry and loud gacks, garghs, bwarghs, and even a lone flargh. For a few moments he just rolls on his back, kicking furiously and pulling at a forearm. It's not working very well, unsurprisingly. .oO( I, I got to get to the open ground... ) he thinks to himself. One hand snaps out, catching the railing. And then in a vicious lunge, he tries to roll himself off and tumble head over heels with Daniel the one story to the concrete floor. On the plus side, nobody is going to crack a head open, and being super-awesome fighters, it's just going to be a jarring impact. On the downside, Holly Wood very much intends to impact Daniel fully, unless he manages to otherwise writhe away or get loose in the midst of the suicidal motion...
COMBATSYS: Daniel blocks Holly Wood's Medium Throw.
Daniel just keeps the pressure on, trying to make him pass out. ANYTHING to make him pass out. As the man struggles, Daniel just keeps that same intensity, that same drive that is with the Way of Todoh. Biting down on his cigarette, the detective grunts when Holly flips over. And with that last struggle, Daniel finds them both falling down.
The PI decides to break even, and split. Call it a hunch, or call it that Holly was gaining topside in this struggle. Shoving the man away, Daniel is freed from the direct impact of the thug. Unfortunately, the question WHAT Daniel was pulling himself into.
Landing hip first, Daniel Jack hisses, nearly swallowing his cigarette in the process. This was NOT the landing he was hoping for, and despite the description of awesome warriors, Daniel really wasn't. He just had a very snazzy hat, and rising up, the detective simply adjusts the porkpie with credible dignity. He was cheesed off, now, because the man threw off his groove. Now he had to advance back towards the man. Beads of sweat rolling off his face, Daniel begins to hold back. Advancing to his defensive posture, he steadily advances to the man, hand before hand, foot before foot. Snapping a hand forward, he tries to snatch the man as he gets up. If successful, he will simple roll him head over heels, and fling him to the ground. The basic Aikido throw. Easy as Jiro's mother, but with only half the calories.
COMBATSYS: Holly Wood interrupts Quick Throw from Daniel with Cutthroat Maneuver.
Well, Holly Wood is pretty awesome. Whether that bleeds over to him being a warrior is quite arguable, however. He lands on his shoulder, managing a dignified roll that turns into a sprawl headfirst. Picking himself up, a brief glance shows this section to be almost entirely empty despite the metal supports of the warehouse. Shadows swirl about, as a few of the nearby soldiers partially block the electric lamp. Pit fighting. This is what Holly Wood has mastered, and as he circles to the left when one hand snatches at his rising crimson shoulder, he merrily dives into his element. He is rolled, but awkwardly; given a deathgrip applied to the zoot suit, and a shift to absorb much of the impact. Then he twists, slamming Daniel into the ground adjacent to him with a snarl. This is the first time he's able to showcase that Holly Wood is a big man, and even for a big man, he has big muscles. All of that dark skinned Todoh fury is naught but matchsticks and paper!! A glint of steel, which licks hard across Daniel's throat as Holly Wood rises, to leave him floored. And bleeding. A rather large amount, probably. Well, nobody probably enjoys having their throat cut. Unlike the other U.S.P.L. soldiers, who cheer harder at the first blood!
Daniel Jack flips Holly Wood over, smashing him towards the ground. However, there is a complicating element. The victim grabbed his coat, and dragged him with him. With a shocking turn of events, Daniel is hit with a reversal, and is sent to the ground. With a oof, He lands sprawled out. Just like Kasumi taught him. The private eye struggles a bit, picking himself up. Suddenly, there is a flash. A cut, and a gasp.
Daniel Jack grips his throat, feeling the rush of blood. Panic overcomes him. This was Mad Gear. These were the people who beat him so roughly in Metro City. These were one with the people who took over Metro City. And here he was, trapped in a warehouse, well over his head. Staggering up, Daniel's composure finally breaks, and he shows real fear. Eyes looking nervously around him, his knees buckle for a moment. And then, they stop. No. He needed to get out. He can't show weakness. He needed to... level the field a bit.
"You think this is the cuddle, scuzzies?" Daniel Jack announces loudly, using the volume to overcome the unconscious quaver now appearing. His face becoming a shit-eating grin as he removes the hand from his neck gingerly. Blood oozing, he adjusts his suit, running his hands from the collar all the way down to the belt. "Well, know, I got this punch line, and it is real soft, ya dig? All of you all, let me sing it straight." Daniel fixes his belt, moving his hand behind his back up into the crook of his coat. "Four easy words, so listen clear." Suddely, the detective rips out an unloaded M-3 Grease Gun. Snapping a hand into his left side of the front, he whips a single clip out from the coat and into the gun. Blood still dribbling, he loads the live ammo in the gun, and simply opens fire, strafing the entire room, Holly included. But not before he seeths out a single line, eyes burning with an inner rage.
"Hit the floor, motherf*ckers"
COMBATSYS: Holly Wood blocks Daniel's Jacked Thompson.
It's too late. Holly Wood is a mad dog. A sadist of the worst kind. The widened eyes, the slight buckle of knees, cause him to grin widely. He flicks the knife downwards, peppering the ground with crimson droplets. Each pristine teeth is bared like a predator's fangs as the broad man starts to walk in a smooth circle, twirling the weapon now and again. "Gonna gut you like a fish..." is promised. There's no hint this is even a threat, but a promise. These are the real deal. U.S.P.L. members have killed civilians for stumbling into things in benign circumstances. And if there's ever a murderer's face, a killer's eyes, this cruel man has them in spades! He looks nearly eager. The words are ignored, Holly Wood thinking them the panicked squawk of a scared bird. But he blanches noticeably when a weapon is whipped out. "--!!" That's all he says, twisting and bolting away, covering his arms with his head. One of the three men in a tan uniform does dive down. The other two are caught in the spray, stumbling back and hitting the ground, wounded. Holly Wood catches a heavy peppering along his side, as sparks and clangs pewpewpew about him while he moves. But luckily, bullets are not infinite. The second Daniel is out, he skids to a stop and charges. "SUCK IT!" he roars, leaping the last distance with his knife held in reverse, lashing downwards in a quick but violent blow aimed at Daniel's chest!
COMBATSYS: Daniel fails to counter Quick Strike from Holly Wood with Mad Jack Crack.
Daniel strafes the room, letting the sub machine gun tear apart the men. If he was going to go down, he was going to at least make it clear that this was trouble. He wasn't going to die, he kept repeating in his mind, letting the last of the bullets spray out. Grinning like a man on edge, he pulls the gun back, sweeping his eyes for his primary threat. The primary threat was erupting towards him, flying through the air. Immediately, he whips the gun up shoving forward in order to move past Holly Wood. This was not kosher Todoh-Ryuu Kobojutsu.
As such, it fails.
Miserably.
Holly Wood simply overpowers the block, and hacks across Daniel's chest. While the coat does absorb a little bit of the impact, it isn't enough to prevent a flesh wound. Worse yet, the neck gash doesn't stop bleeding. Daniel staggers backwards, dropping the gun to the ground. His eyes seem to be going dim, swaying from focus to unfocus. He forces himself into a defensive position, hand behind hand, staggering as the blood continues to flow.
Ruining his suit, of course.
The U.S.P.L. commando senses weakness! Blowing through the weapon and giving another heavy lash, he once more chuckles. "Well, I'll be... he's still on his feet..." The weapon is again given a dextrous twirl, before being sheathed upon his vest. "Hey." he demands to his men. The one who dived and escaped harm pushes to his feet, eyes wide. "Gimme one of the AK's." "..." Doubt and confusion, bu the unfiormed man hurls one of the compact assault rifles through the air. Holly Wood catches it smoothly, and then chambers it with a delicious and loud *click*. The safety is flicked off. "We're supposed to test these... Be my guest!!" With that, he fires from his hip. Compared to the sound of Daniel's weapon, this is localized thunder. Bright flashes illuminate the warehouse, as Holly Wood cackles like some 40's era gangster, sweeping the weapon left and right. Metal is gouged beneath the large caliber shells, but he's not particularly aiming very well; chances are very high simply diving and covering one's head could completely escape it. But it looks awesome. Finally, click, and the steaming muzzled weapon is thrown aside. He's playing with Daniel, anticipating his imminent victory...
COMBATSYS: Holly Wood successfully hits Daniel with Power Fling.
Daniel hangs there, focusing forward. The blood loss was beginning to get to him. A pallor was overcoming him, his lips shifting into a deep blue. He only half-heartingly notices the gun being brought out. He figured there was only one thing left to do. Hit him. Hard. And end this fight through sheer intimidation. As such, he begins his advance, moving forward as the gun opens fire.
Daniel just marches forward, mind set on just one thing. "fa-" He starts, stopping short as a single round penetrates his chest. "fan... FAN-TAS-TIC-tic. FANTASTIC!" Daniel Jack begins to wind up, bringing a single hand back. Another bullet rips through his abdomen. "to-TODOH!" He states, continuing his steady advance. Blood was seeping through almost all over, tunnel vision was overtaking him. But at the end of the grey tunnel, there was only that leering man in red.
Daniel feels something hit his shoulder, but for now, he ignores it for only one thing. With a shout much louder in his head than outside it, he unleashes a single, powerful palm strike right for what he thinks is the chest of his foe.
"... punch"
Daniel continues with the punch, going with it as he sinks to the ground, the loss of blood consuming him in the darkness. He squirms, struggling. His eyes sink shut... and suddenly whip open. No. If he fell asleep, he would die. He wouldn't die here. He just refused it. There, he laid, eyes open, body helpless, shuddering a raking breath steadily to keep the oxygen to blood ratio low.
COMBATSYS: Daniel can no longer fight.
COMBATSYS: Daniel successfully hits Holly Wood with Fantastic Todoh Punch.
Well, well. He actually managed to hit Daniel with his absurd attack. That's almost disappointing, really. Since it means he's doubtlessly going to die. The weapon was hurled aside just as Daniel slithered close. A forearm moves to intercept it, a sort of smug complacence creasing Holly Wood's face. A loud CRACK! as the fist makes purchase. Holly Wood is sent staggering backwards, knife flying wildly from his hands before he crashes over. For a few seconds he trembles, and then manages to hack and cough when air grudgingly rushes back into his hot and angry lungs. Both of the downed soldiers have pushed mostly to their feet now, and look like they are liable to not die horrible deaths. "Hah... hah..." Holly Wood looms up, a sea of crimson leading to a very angry face. Limping slightly, he approaches the downed Daniel and delivers a heavy kick to his ribs.
"What a joke...
"What'll we do with him, sir?"
"Let him bleed out until the truck fucking comes."
For two hours, Daniel lays in darkness. The men do not return to their poker game, sitting in silence. One whimpers occasionally about his wounds, but Holly Wood doesn't put up with that smack. The sound of a truck comes. A door rasping open. Daniel is dragged by a foot, and tossed into the back. Crates piling around him. Doors sliding shut. Bouncing, rumbling, the truck moves. The door slides open.
Another man drags Daniel out, across the dirty ground of an alley. A dumpster pried open. Being lifted, and then shoved inside. Heavy metal clanging shut.
Darkness.
Will the spark of Todoh survive? Has he truly been thrown away, like Kyokugen trash...?
Daniel Jack held there, eyes remaining open, jaw tensed up. The kick is delivered from Holly Wood, and from his throat comes forth a fresh glob of blood. The breathing becomes even more struggled, but he just focuses, letting the fighting spirit still in him burn quietly in the darkness.
Throughout those hours, Daniel stayed conscious but paralyzed, drifting in and out of feverish dreams. There was something that students of the traditional arts could do, something that Todoh taught him. It was connected to the concept of Chi, the concept of one's aura. When your body failed, what was left was your spirit. And if your spirit was truly burning with the Way of Todoh, then you could keep yourself from truly dying. Daniel focuses on the image of Ryuhaku Todoh standing in the warped warehouse, the hallucination nodding furiously at him.
His bleeding eventually stopped, though not from the classic way. The bleeding simply stopping, the wounds clotting up. Daniel Jack just stared forward, looking at his sensai. His sensai lifts him up, throwing him into the back of a dark truck. Large blobs shift around him. And there is Ryuhaku Todoh again. The man glared back at Daniel, and the detective numbly stared at the man. Finally, the man took Daniel, and dumped in the darkness.
Daniel remained there through the night, focusing hard on the dreams of dancing Ryuhaku and tall men in red, mocking him at every turn amongst the dead fish parts. And then, there was a burst of light that shook Daniel in the real world. A voice came from above, from the surprised kitchen hand who was prepared to dump the leftover portions of the fish for the tacos. "Hey, Keta, check it out! Someone dumped a body here!" There was the sounds of footsteps, followed by another, deeper voice. "Holy shit, holy shit, someone call the cops, or something I don't know, I mean, shit shit shit." And then, Daniel Jack let the focus break. He let the dreams consume him, he let the darkness consume him, all for a single line. Before he truly fell unconscious, the dark gumshoe muttered a single line.
"Ambulance. Please. I need help."
Log created on 20:01:59 11/27/2008 by Daniel, and last modified on 00:56:55 11/30/2008.