Description: Mere seconds after the battle to save Justice High from Shadaloo's forces ends in victory, Justice's principal and Pacific's shop teacher have a talk about the goings on. An old hand at these sorts of fighting politics reluctantly shares his knowledge, and the one previously left in the dark decides he's ready to put this collected knowledge to work. Will it be too late to make a difference in saving Southtown from the ravages of war? Sometimes, all it takes is for one man to simply say... "enough!" (Also, the dangers of utilizing a careless monologue when others are in need. Heed the lesson well!)
The battle with Sagat is over. The invading forces are retreating. Raizo Imawano has yet another victory on his belt - a decisive proof that his school is not to be trifled with, on pain of a severe mauling.
He stands, tall and arms folded, right up until the last of the enemies are out of his site, before tilting his head to look at the man who came to help him:
"Howard," Raizo rumbles. "Thank you for your assistance. Was there something you needed to tell me?"
The man who came to help him still has his back on the floor. Kurenai gave him a pretty good working over, even if he had at least a bit of fight left in him yet. He probably wouldn't complain about having to sleep on this floor.
Looking up from the floor, Raizo is not the kind of sight that is reassuring. Look at him, he's huge!! He has that kind of insidious vibe no matter how much better one would know than that. It is reassuring, though, to be addressed with 'thanks' as opposed to a puzzled look as to why he'd even bother. All he did was occupy that pink-haired girl with the wooden sword, and that's... putting it rather nicely.
"I, uhh... yeah. Actually. Yeah. Um. One sec." He digs into his pocket for the phone Rolento supplied. It just crosses his mind that, maybe, just maybe, this thing is probably bugged. He crams it into his toolbelt, takes said toolbelt off, and throws the thing into a corner.
Raizo is, in a phrase, Damn Huge, but he tries to be friendly about it. But there's only so much you can do about a face like that!
Raizo nods, though he looks a little puzzled by Rust's caution. He arcs an eyebrow, watching the toolbelt sail off into a corner, and then looks back.
"I assume there was a reason for that?"
The shop teacher nods his head as he uses Ol' Rusty as a crutch for at least sitting up. Ooooh boy, his back, he didn't land softly. Despite his seemingly clumsy movements, he's usually better about handling that sort of thing. He grunts, straining himself to both catch his breath and, in time, stand back up.
"It's, uh... complicated, but. Just now, I don't know if you heard, but..." he clears his throat, starting to speak at a lower volume. He's operating on assumptions more than anything, even if his (temporary) discarding of the possibly bugged phone is not quite as slick a move as he may think.
"I know who they're after, if... if that... pink-haired girl," he says those last three words with a certain amount of dislike, "wasn't just dropping lies."
Raizo does not help Rust, as much because he isn't totally sure the smaller man is psychologically prepared to be supported by a man who looks very much like he could eat him. And who, let us be honest, probably could, if he were so inclined.
He's still confused about the phone throw, but whatever. He nods, quietly. "I heard her say something," he admits. "But a battle against a man like Sagat requires intense focus. I wasn't listening very closely. Who?"
He'll probably get to that in a moment. Hell, he's still working off the adrenaline that typically comes from a fight. One he would've been on the losing end of, had it not been for Sagat's... unexpected benevolence in defeat. Sitting straight up now, the Pacific teacher looks up to Raizo's bear-like face, to establish eye contact. If there's one other man he'd have to trust with this right now, until he got back into contact with Hakuya or anyone else around Southtown he's befriended...
"She said 'Mr. Howard.'" He lets those words sink in for as long as they need to. That is, after a correction four seconds later. "I mean... not me, that's not my surname." There's been confusion over this before! "Geese. She... she didn't say Geese, she said 'Mr. Howard,' but..."
The Pacific teacher exhales again as he supports himself on Ol' Rusty, working himself up to the pinnacle of 'being okay' - standing. "If she's not yanking my, my leg, anyway."
Raizo rumbles, arms refolding as he stares at Rust hard, until it becomes obvious that he is instead staring /past/ Rust, into the middle distance, wheels turning in his big bear head.
"Geese Howard," Raizo rumbles. "That man...his dealings have always been shady. Hyo and I have suspected him of malfeasance for a while now. But this...no, this isn't him. This has been "R" thugs and Shadaloo remnants."
The old man's eyes tilt upward, away, in the direction the attackers left in. "Something's wrong. If she's telling the truth, then we have only a small piece of the puzzle. Their actions don't speak of an attack directed solely at Geese Howard. Attacking the schools...the Syndicate...even if we go out on a limb and assume some kind of connection to the Syndicate, why the schools?" The old man shakes his head, rumbling unhappily. "Something doesn't fit."
Howard - that is, the dumpy American guy with the length of pipe that teaches at a snooty high school, not the mega-billionaire fighting superstar whom may very well be close to being the richest man in the world, has only heard the name 'Syndicate' in context to this whole situation once before.
Ryu mentioned it. What was the context? He can't quite remember. He stated it separate from the term 'invaders.' He didn't quite understand it then, he doesn't quite understand it now. Just that there is a 'Syndicate' and that it is based here, or... or something, and they are separate from the invaders and...
All this train of thought comes as the Pacific teacher starts to look away from Raizo. This is good, because he's missing the scariest aspects of the principal's gaze into the distance. He takes the opportunity to roll his left shoulder around a bit to relieve the stiffness. There is a disconcerting creaky noise that might disrupt some lines of thought.
"No... no it doesn't," he concedes, taking in a deep breath as he wonders how to word this next bit. This is the part that is incredibly delicate. But, he's got no choice other than to say it outright. Raizo may be the only peer of his he can trust. If one can even consider them peers beyond the fact that they are both grown-ups.
"But, but I think I got a lead." He points his right index finger upward, waggling it a little out of habit even if he's not directly pointing at anything. "Someone... someone shady told me, they didn't want to see the schools fall... gave me a number to call when, when Pacific got attacked. It did." Boy, did it. He speaks in more hushed tones, just in case that phone over in the corner is more sensitive than lets on. If it is indeed bugged at all.
"Rolento. He took me and a Gedo kid, uh... Suigetsu, I think? Yeah. Suigetsu. I don't know... I don't know why he'd care for the, the schools. But, he knows what's going on."
That's when he gestures broadly to the toolbelt. "That phone's, uh, his. That's how you reached me. He knew about the attack." How? He doesn't know, he was just shoved out the secret base with a bag on his head for most of the way and told to assist with the defense of Justice.
"Rolento..." Raizo rumbles, as Rust states this new information. He scowls, visibly unhappy. "That man...so, he knows something? Or, perhaps he was simply prepared...I had my own contingencies, but I never expected a war on this scale to break out." The bear-man turns away again, pacing restlessly. "This whole situation is untenable. We have to put a stop to it. It might be productive to simply go out into the streets..."
And then Raizo grunts. "No, I see what they're doing now...forcing me to stay in, demonstrating that my forces aren't great enough. I've easily handled both of their attacks, but I was also the last line of defense. Cunning of them. Infuriating." He does not sound particularly furious, but then he's the kind of guy who acts calm right up until he starts tearing things off.
"There's something amiss. Rolento...and "R", and people who I thought were with Shadaloo...the objectives don't seem to line up. Unless they simply want to tear down everything in this city...Destroy everything that's been built here..."
He stops pacing. "...I don't think I like how much that fits."
While Raizo rumbles, scowls, and speaks, Howard at last gets to his feet. He stretches his right leg out with another wince. He must've fallen on a small piece of debris pretty hard, or something. He halts mid-stretch as the MAN BEAR (not pig) goes on about things like... contingencies, or, what the hell they're going to need to do to stop this.
Raizo's grunt disarms him from speaking up about what to do as he goes into what he's sure they're forcing him to do. Raizo is one of the strongest people walking the planet, and one of the most influential here. Mr. Rust brings his left hand to his chin. Pacific does have a fair number of skilled fighters in the student body. If not to conquer, then maybe to keep them from acting. Why did they start with Gedo, though? Were they seen as the strongest? He gives pause yet again as Raizo brings up a new name he's never heard. There's been a lot of them through this last... month? Howard hasn't really kept great track of the days that have passed by.
"Hey, uh... what's 'R'?" The Pacific teacher asks. "I'm, uh... not... aware of all these, these organizations." With his right hand, he points one finger up. "NESTS, hell if I know about 'em, just that... that they keep attacking the schools, then," second finger goes up, "Shadaloo, from... from Thailand, right? Some kids from the area went there to fight, so I've heard" and that is really a frightening thought when put into perspective as he puts up a third finger, "Syndicate, who... who, I guess, aren't with those people, and..."
He grunts. He shakes his head, "Mr. Imawano. I don't know. I'm a working man. I don't know a, a damned thing... about any, I mean, any of this shit. All I got, is Mr. Howard... and that's, uh, Geese, not me speaking in third person... is a target, and that Rolento guy wants me and that Gedo kid to help him kick them out."
Want? More like demand!!
Raizo stops rambling when Rust brings up things he doesn't know. It is a lot of things.
Raizo closes his eyes. "It is perhaps better that you don't know," he says. "It's a dangerous thing, the names of people like that..."
He shakes his head. "The Syndicate, though, that you should know about. It's a criminal empire, based out of the city. Hyo and I have been working against it for some time, but...we've left most of the heavy work against them to Gedo. Daigo seems to enjoy the exercise, and I haven't found anything damning enough to indicate I need to step in personally. I'm reconsidering that now, if these powerful organizations from abroad seem intent on destroying Southtown."
He grunts, deep in his throat, then turns toward Rust. "If Rolento wants to repel the invaders from Southtown, then he is our ally - for now, at least. But I take it you have misgivings that run deeper than simple convenience."
'It is perhaps better that you don't know.' Yeah, don't know, sit around here, and let every last one of those warmongering sorts waltz in and destroy just about everything one Howard Rust here has worked for. The anger reads plainly on his face. The frustration is enough that his fatigue and his injuries start taking a back seat to hot bloodedness.
Hot bloodedness, however, always waits for plot exposition. It is the circle of life in this genre
Bringing Ol' Rusty back to his right hand - where it truly belongs in times of danger and uncertainty, the sting of putting too much pressure on his palm notwithstanding - and rests his stalwart inanimate ally on his shoulder as Raizo talks a bit more about the Syndicate. Based out of the city... that's the bit he figured out after Ryu brought up the name, okay. He nods his head at that. Hyo and Raizo's been working against it for some time, like... some kind of government secret agents or something? But they've left most of the heavy work against them to Gedo.
Left the most heavy work against them to Gedo.
Left the most heavy work against them to Gedo.
Left the most heavy work against them to Gedo.
Ol' Rusty lowers from his shoulder as his mouth opens slightly around the time Raizo speaks of reconsideration. This doesn't make any sense at all! They're still missing one piece of the puzzle. If Gedo High and its infamous gangs have been directed by Daigo, typically, to fight against this home-grown mafia... but yet the invading forces are working against them...
Mr. Rust clears his throat around the time Raizo does his own grunting as he turns towards him. "I'm from America, sir," he speaks with a certain vigor his voice has been lacking since the two began to have a conversation. The sort of clarity that he usually has when lecturing... after ample coffee and a good throat clearing every now and then, anyway.
"That alone... that alone should say a lot." He once again lets is right arm raise as to rest the other end of Ol' Rusty on his shoulder as he looks back out the way he came. "I mean... I admit it. I'm getting old... still working on getting fit... I'm not from some old martial arts family, or whatever. I admit... yeah, when we were going to Gedo, I was in over my head. And... you know, I never got to say it, but, I'm sorry I made you worry that I wasn't up to snuff. At that point... I had no idea. No idea what we were up against."
He wipes a little more blood from the sides of his mouth as he makes eye contact with the intimidating Raizo once more. But the look in Howard's eyes there - they aren't the eyes you can't really apply an adjective to other than what color they are. These are fully awake. These are eyes that aren't dreading looking towards what the working day holds. These are the eyes of a man that at least still has some fighting spirit left in him, for a man who is so tiny in the wide, wide spectrum of fighting talent.
"You know... this time, this time I think I got the truth. Pieces of it, but..." He motions his head over to where he tossed the belt. "I got someone who's close to the truth. Once we put it together... you, me, anyone else. I'm putting that god damn truth to work, Raizo. I'm not just going to sit around, flailing. That's not what I'm going to do any more, all right?"
That's when he gestures broadly towards the way he came with Ol' Rusty, like when Babe Ruth was pointing out where he was going to hit a home run. "I'm going back out. Gonna give Rolento the skinny... figure out what he wants me to do next. God willing, I'm getting back to Pacific and letting them know what's up. I don't have a car," it's at Gedo and probably scrapped for parts now, "I don't have my own cell phone," which got blown up in defense of Pacific, "I got some kind of noose around my god damned neck and I'd be surprised if I'd ever be able to fight again like I did... what, ten years ago, with my hand like this," it's not easy to tell since Mr. Rust has a glove on, but there is some discoloration from significant burn
wounds going a ways up his right forearm along with the occasional twitch in his face that suggests it is painful to even put the tiniest amount of pressure upon his right hand, "But, but I'm not going to let that stop me now."
At the end of all this dramatic posturing, he turns all the way back towards Raizo and sizes him up. "What I'm saying is, Mr. Imawano... if I wasn't trustworthy before, you can trust me now. One way or another, I want to get these god damn sons of bitches out of this town, and /out of my life/, so I can get back to work and not have to worry about... about some of our kids having to die to this violence, or me losing my job because the top brass decide Southtown's just not worth the risk because some... some floating blonde haired psychopath thinks people like me are his god damn toys!!"
A deep breath. "I'm a god damn working man, Raizo, and now I got a job to do more than ever."
Raizo lets people do work for him if he can. He is a busy man! And more importantly, beating up criminals is an important part of a reforming delinquent's reformation. It is like community service, with chi blasts.
Raizo listens, turning to watch Rust work himself up - talk himself into a frenzy, talk himself through the problems they're all facing. He listens, letting Rust reveal his thoughts.
And he nods. "Good," he says. "We need more men like you, Howard." He smiles, and it's about as kindly as that monstrous face can get. "We need men of resolve and passion who will fight for what they know is right." And then it's gone again, returning to a more serious expression. "But this is...immensely dangerous. We are standing - here, in Southtown - at the intersection of a war between three major powers. Forces that can shake the world all on their own. We saw that with Shadaloo, in Thailand. They don't want the world - they want this town. If you'll fight...know that you are fighting enormous odds."
And then he grins, a feral, excited look, showing off some of that Imawano blood lust. "And then throw the odds back in their face! Are you ready to do that, Howard!?"
At this point, the disturbing likeness of how Raizo looks when he's smiling and how he looks when he's angry all slip away under the face of knowing that almost all the facts are in place, save for a number of minute details that would tie the whole thing together. As grim as the truth may be, it's about the only reassurance he has now in the face of overwhelming odds.
It's good enough. At least, in the face of a seemingly overly enthusiastic bear of a man who might accidentally maul him in his hot-blooded glee, I mean, look what he did to FREAKING SAGAT.
The man who is, in an odd turn of events, the younger of the two nods his head as he starts to make his way for the discarded toolbelt (and possibly bugged phone). It is a very underwhelming gesture in comparison to the vocal frenzy he's worked himself up to just moments before, but that's about all he has to say about it.
He rolls his left shoulder about a few times. The pop comes after the one in his left knee, which he more or less endures. He'll be okay. He'll walk it off. He's got a lot of walking to do, see, that's plenty of time to walk it off.
"Yeah. It's time to go," he says in a low voice as he clears his throat which has now gone back, conveniently, to being dry on him. Grrrrbghrhgle, maybe he should hit up a water fountain on the way out, maybe back the way he ca--
Oh, wait, shit!
"Aw shit, I forgot!" A sudden change in the dramatic mood of their burning resolve shot like a flare for the both of them to see, turning his head back towards the door he kinda-sorta snuck through before it fell down right as the showdown between Raizo and Sagat began.
"That way," he points with Ol' Rusty, "came across some, some hurt kids, gotta get them some help! I forgot all about 'em!"
That's what happens when you monologue, sometimes.
Log created on 23:38:37 04/13/2009 by Rust, and last modified on 03:00:11 04/18/2009.