Description: Daniel and Marz had clashed dramatically, but with neither able to leave the area, their options were somewhat limited when it came to what happened next. What follows are some tense negotiations, and an attempt, on both sides, to make the other leave them alone. The somewhat tangled relationship between the pair becomes even more so, with neither quite certain, really, where the other stands. But it seems like the lawn of Todoh isn't going to be threatened further, at least, not by Marz. That crab grass however... is a foe that is so deadly, neither even dares to suggest that they do anything against it.
Daniel Jack was having a rough day, and saying something when the entire city of Southtown was going to pot. He had fled from Gedo Street to his Master's home, the Todoh-Ryuu Kobojutsu Dojo near the Southtown Village. There he was, taking care of the Dojo grounds by fighting an endless war with crabgrass. And then, all of a sudden, Marz shows up. Yes, Marz. The Shadaloo Doll. The two had an interesting relationship. On one hand, Marz tended to attack the detective. But on the other, Daniel saved her life when it mattered. So to repay his kindness, she was out attacking him AGAIN. Right in front of the Dojo grounds.
And now, Daniel Jack was just waking up from that fight.
The detective sits up from his prone position, head throbbing. The last thing he remembered clearly was that the doll was tearing into him... and he was tearing into the girl... and then darkness. Daniel Jack glances around, face in a dull grimace. And then, a suddenly sharp stab of pain. The detective eyes land on the small crater in the middle of the Dojo lawn. The topsoil, the entire grounds... RUINED! The detective staggers up, legs still rubbery from the fight. If that is what he did to Marz, then...
Was she still here?
It really is a very strange situation.
Marz considers herself a strictly logical being. Her fighting style was based almost entirely upon being adaptive and taking into account the style of the person against her. In her day to day life, manipulation of figures and resources was something that she took a great deal of pride in. Her predictive work is what she spends most of her time doing. Attempting to gauge how to respond to situations now, that hadn't even happened yet.
And so, the most logical course of action, to save Daniel Jack... was to convince herself of the necessity of being the one to /attack/ Daniel Jack. The particular logical hoops she had jumped through which had led her to this conclusion, the only possible way to balance what she considered two great responsibilities, were particularly mind numbing.
The final blow had resulted in a catastrophic amount of damage. It would be some time yet before she recovered fully from it. Psycho power and chi rarely mixed well, but, that ran both ways, and the final blow that smashed Marz into the crater that now sits in the middle of the dojo lawn was no exception. By some miracle, however, her laptop, her clothing, even her hat... all remains primarily fine, though her uniform top is burned and singed. Most of the damage had been soaked by her body. But... fighters are notoriously resilient, and Marz is no exception. It couldn't be long before she would stir.
Well, this was trouble all over again.
Daniel Jack's eyes dropped down to the purple-haired girl. He only can hold his stare for a moment before he drops down to his knees. Throwing his arms out before him, the detective catches himself from falling face first. His own aikido uniform was fairly torn and stained by the grass and dirt of his tumbles, but his own body was holding strong. A dirty secret of his Todoh Arts was the speed of recovery: Like his master, Daniel was gradually growing resilient for a fighter by his sheer willpower.
Crawling on the ground a bit, he pulls himself up against with those weak knees, glaring at the unconscious girl bitterly. When he fought her, it seemed pretty obvious that if he beat her up, he would just throw her out to the street. But seeing her like this... damn dame was breaking his heart. Worse yet, like Marz, he was obliged to take care of the other. Not in a caring way, but more of a way that didn't result in Vega completely leveling his home. At the same token, if she woke... who knows what would happen. The detective racked the back of his brain. What was the wisest thing to do? And then, he brushes on something. The inner spirit of Todoh. WWTD.
What Would Todoh Do?
The detective stood beside Marz, crossing his arms. Turning his nose up, he just stared at the girl, assuming the traditional background stance of Todoh-Ryuu Kobojutsu. Like his master, he would remain here until she awoke, which then Daniel would mysteriously leave. It was a technique that Kasumi did not teach for some reason, yet Ryuhaku was a master of. It was very unusual.
Five Minutes Later.
Marz's eyes flicker open. She had really given it her all. She could tell, because every scrap and fibre of her being was burning with a harsh ache. However. What catches her by surprise more than anything else, is the fact that Daniel is... standing directly over her, with his nose in the air. For a fraction of a second, she looks at him, and then, she acts on instinct. Her hand reaches, down, grasps a knife, and she stumbles to her feet...
Surely she wouldn't--!
And then she collapses to the dirt again, with a grunt. Her hello kitty backpack has mud all over it. She was hurting, and Daniel was ... being Daniel at her. To say that Marz is not in a good mood would, perhaps, be the understatement of the century. But at least she has let go of the knife. The sudden burst of energy has given way to a groaning kind of protest. Ow. This was not how the plan was supposed to go, at all.
The detective doesn't move when Marz awakes. He doesn't move when she draws out the knife. He doesn't even move when Marz collapses to the ground. He just holds there, erect and arrogant. There is a subtle reason why he remains this way.
He can't really move, either.
As he turns around to leave silently, to trap Marz in her inner thoughts, he suddenly falls to all fours AGAIN. "Dammit." He mutters, scrambling up again. And falling down again. The detective gives up, turning himself over to sit down for a short while. Well. It looked like they were going to be stuck together for a short while. The detective crosses his legs, keeping himself upright by putting down both arms to the ground at each of his flanks. Staring at Marz, he finally growls something out.
"So now what, Gurty. You're the smart one."
Marz seems to consider this for a moment. In truth, she already knew what the agreement needed to be. And is quietly happy that Daniel... was just as hurt as she was. For a few, long moments, however, she focuses on breathing. Because if she can get air into her lungs, then she can use this process to ease enough life back into her body that she can formulate full sentences.
It really is the most cunning of plans.
"As." She begins, a good start, "We, are obviously, in no fit... state, to continue." Well, so far so good. She can say the blindingly obvious just as well as she could before the beating. "We should... recuperate. Negotiate. And, form a truce... until such a time, as we can both be certain that we will be ready to fight again."
She takes another few, deep breaths. Gauging just how badly she was hurt. The pair had really gone all out on each other, but, neither had pushed the limits of lethal damage. There weren't any injuries that would take days to recover, especially if they could get to somewhere more comfortable than, say, face down in the dirt.
"Eight hours. Then force comes back on ... the table."
Daniel mulls about this offer. Take a break, then fight again. That SEEMED reasonable. But then, Daniel realizes something. He doesn't WANT to fight Marz again. He wanted her to STOP being a problem for him. He mulls about this. What is a great win-win solution? Finally, he comes up with an answer. Slowly, he rasps out to Marz.
"No."
Daniel holds there, chewing on his own words before explaining in greater detail. "I'm going to leave you out here on the front. I'm going to snag some supper. Normally, I don't get to munch down some real good eating on account of the thugs that jack it up outside the dojo. Of course, when they see a young dame like yourself, I'm pretty sure I can get down a nice club or three before I need to do something about it."
The detective struggles, trying to get up. Nope, still not enough strength.
The look Marz gives Daniel could freeze the blood.
When the girl speaks, somehow, she manages to keep her tone steady. She doesn't budge an inch, but, her tone is somewhat reminiscent of ice.
"You have three choices, Daniel Jack." She hisses. "Consider: You have informed me that you intend to be a threat to Shadaloo. Your choices are as follows. Either. We resolve this, between ourselves, with force. In which case, you must beat me, and beat me so badly that I do not report to Lord Vega that you are a threat. OR. You leave me here, and I never report back in to Lord Vega. In either case... he will fall on you like a storm. OR. The final choice. You bring me indoors, we recuperate, and we come to an agreement... amongst ourselves. Either way, Daniel Jack, I will NOT allow you ... to continue to be ... a thorn to Lord Vega and his operations."
She sags back, having slowly edged forwards through her little rant, she suddenly collapses, with a grunt. Her lips curling up into a throaty chuckle. "You must realize... that you can't win. The only logical course of action... the only one that stops your dojo being destroyed... is to leave... Shadaloo... /ALONE/."
Daniel Jack rolls his eyes. Muttering quietly, he just turns away from the girl and her frigid eyes. "Gurty, Gurty, you can't dig it, can you." The detective mulls. She was getting fiarly ins
"I didn't even care about doing much of anything, short at keeping the Dojo safe. But I stop crime, that is what I just dig. But then you showed up." Daniel stretches his legs out, massaging his thighs. "I haven't jacked around with you guys much. But you show up, accusing me of jacking around, expecting me to jack you guys. And frankly, that just jacks me off. Shoot, it makes me want to give Shadaloo the shaft simply to spite -you-"
The detective sighs as he throws himself back, energy flowing back to his legs. Like Marz, he was impatient about this whole thing- And stubborn. Unlike Marz, however, he was at a slight disadvantage. Picking a fight with Vega was suicidal. But still, Daniel held to his heart strong.
"Let me make this clear, Gurty. I'm not going under Shadaloo's yoke. You can't force me through violence, you can't force me through threats, and you can't force me through your half-hearted truces. I do what I want. Shoot, if you weren't being such a priggish little brat, I might have made you a sandwich. But no. For all that logical deduction, you just missed the boat where the fact that you showed up here made the problem worse."
Suddenly, Daniel Jack began to chuckle. Curling his arms around his legs, he peered over to Marz. "Am I really that much of a threat though. Seriously. Be honest, you damn crazy broad you."
Marz listens carefully, and, slowly, she raises herself up onto her elbows. She takes a log, slow breath. And just gives Daniel a very long, very tired look. "Think about what I said when I first arrived, Daniel Jack." She states, slowly. "I was attempting to make sure you would not interfere." And at this, she actually looks pained, as she draws herself all the way up, her brow furrows, for just a moment, before she begins to speak more freely than she had done before, simply laying out her reasoning in a simple, bland, neutral tone.
"You saved my life. You are a good man. You fight crime. You are NOT a threat to Shadaloo. Shadaloo deals with anything that might BE a threat simply, and brutally. In other words, Daniel Jack. If I did not come to speak with you, and you chose to try and stand up to one of Shadaloo's other, more ... accomplished fighters. You would be seriously hurt. Or killed."
She narrows her eyes, then. "Maybe my decision has made things worse. Perhaps it has not. I do not regret my decision, as I believe that it was the most logical course of action, given the variables at play in Southtown, and the various demands I have placed upon me at current."
Suddenly, she staggers up to her feet. The effort is obviously painful, and draws a grunt from the girl, as she sways on the spot. Say what you like about Vega's dolls, but, they knew how to take a beating, and they knew how to carry on afterwards. If this had been a training session with the others, she would already be back to her analytical duties.
"In conclusion." She states, meeting his eye. "You are a minimal threat. You might be able to defeat me. Any other person wearing the Shadaloo insignia would rend you limb from limb. I am the weakest amongst our ranks. My duties do not lay in combat."
Daniel Jack watches Marz stand up. His chuckling turns back into a bemused smirk. She was worried for him. In some sick, demented way, she cared for the detective. I mean, when you are trying to beat up someone to protect them, there isn't a straight way you can explain it. But looking up at Marz, he just took a deep breath in. Okay. Time for a monologue.
"Gurty, I'm going to tell you what I tell every girl that worries about my well-being. You can't stop me from going out there. It's a dangerous world, with dangerous people. I know that I risk my life every time I go out. And it scares me sometimes. But Gurty, you are talking to a man that has been gunned down, beaten, tortured, and stood in the presence of one of the most powerful men in the world. And I've stepped right back in stride. And what have I done to draw such snap back? A few written reports and leads. I'm nothing but a gadfly the world of criminals and tyrants, and you even agree with that." Daniel Jack suddenly stands up, energy rushing through his entire body. Stabilizing himself, he just crosses his arms, and stares eye to eye to the Shadaloo Doll, still bearing that cunning grin.
"But nobody is going to keep this fly in a jar."
Marz's reaction is stony. She simply watches him, and then, slowly, shakes her head. "No." She agrees. "If you come to the attention of Shadaloo enough to warrant... a serious response, the fly will be crushed."
The girl eases a little of the ache out of her arms, and turns around. She couldn't really say much more than she had said, and she had no intention of attacking him again. Not today, anyway. No. Marz was still trying to process the fact that she did, actually, care about what happened to Daniel. It was miniscule compared to the overwhelming need to see Shadaloo and Lord Vega victorious, of course. But, Marz doesn't have much in the way of preferences, and it is still definitely there. She sighs, as she begins, slowly, to walk away. It was going to be a long hobbling walk back to a rendezvous point, and one that she wasn't particularly well dressed for, but, there was no other option.
She does pause, for a moment, however, to add, over her shoulder. "Do not die Daniel Jack. It would be ... disappointing for you to die stupidly."
Daniel Jack stands there, arms crossed. He just watches her struggle away. Yeah, he was playing with fire. He knew it. But deep down, there was that blossom of confidence. Of self-respect. Of JUSTICE. Of TODOH. However, as Marz steps out to leave, he grimaces.
Marz was probably going to make sure that Daniel was going to get roughed up. Not killed, but put in his place. Probably someone bigger and stronger than her. Crap. He just found himself on the scaling slope of henchmen and thugs. And if Marz was right... he just broke through the first floor. Well, looks like he was going to get his training. When Marz turns around to give the detective that dark parting shot, the detective is already ready to fire back. With a subdued intensity, he calls back to her.
"Watch it, kid, or I might just kick it just to spite you."
Log created on 15:46:26 03/06/2009 by Marz, and last modified on 08:31:29 03/08/2009.