Description: It's a beautiful moonlit night, and Freeman is getting the lay of the land. Alas, that some people mistake him for some kind of nefarious influence that should be kept away from children. When Hayato comes across the killer, there are several questions which must be answered. Who is Freeman? What is his purpose in snooping around Taiyo High? And, perhaps most pressingly of all, who, when all is said and done, are you going to call, when you see something strange in your neighborhood?
The moon is very clear tonight.
In truth, the sun has not been down for long, but the sky is clear and black, and despite the general light pollution evident in any major city, the moon still shines out bright and eager. Deliciously full, and ready to bear witness to another night. Interesting times have come to Southtown, after all. From war to tournament and now murder most foul, the Southtown streets have been witness to so much, and who could blame the moon if it, too, was eager to know what the next chapter in this bloody tale would bring?
At least, that is how it seems to one particular man this cold and still night. Freeman always enjoyed learning the lay of new cities. His journeys took him to so many interesting places, and the first few weeks were always a new experience. Each city has its own distinctive character, and how could one know where the perfect place to strike may be, when one doesn't know what ones options are?
Taiyo High is just one of many noteworthy locales in this Mecca of fighting that is Southtown, but it was one Freeman found most interesting. All the schools were almost legendary for the amount of fighters that walked through their gates every weekday. Of course, it is friday now, and late at night. There is nowhere that most people would rather not be than in school... and perhaps that is why Freeman is here.
He doesn't actually seem intent on breaking into any of the buildings, though. At least, a casual observer would note that. Instead, he's simply walking around the grounds. Pale and silent as the grave, he is more like a spectre, some horrible ghost, and he's been taking a leisurely stroll around the area for about ten minutes now. Just soaking in the atmosphere.
Even on a Friday there are people who stay at school after hours. Student athletes, various club members, that sort of thing. There's all sorts of reasons, but the school is still, for the most part, almost deserted compared to the bustle during the day. Outside of the athletic facilities, anyway.
And of course Hayato is there. Most of the athletic clubs appreciate his presence. At least the ones that take their sports seriously. He works people hard, but he also tends to get great results. And he knows at least the basics of just about every sport ever. He even knows the rules to curling. /Curling/.
If the Burning Phys Ed Teacher had been out walking around, Freeman probably would have been spotted earlier. As it is, the killer is able to stroll around the campus for some time. Eventually, however, some student manages to catch a glimpse of 'someone weird' walking around the campus. Not that this is all that unusual; there's plenty of people with weird fashion sense going to various schools around Southtown. Hayato isn't too worried, but it's still odd for someone to be walking around the campus like that after dark. Most people are either inside, or would be in the process of leaving. And if it /is/ someone dangerous... best not to let any of the students leaving run into him.
And so Hayato takes it upon himself to step outside, taking a deep breath of the cool air after his time spent running around and engaging in various athletic activities. With Freeman's leisurely stroll and Hayato's more brisk pace it doesn't take /too/ long before Hayato catches sight of the other man and begins walking toward him. He doesn't call out just yet, though... he'll wait until he's a little closer, in case Freeman tries to bolt.
It's easy to see why someone would think to inform a teacher.
It isn't /immediate/. At first, it is easy to mistake Freeman for just another freak. A strange rocker, perhaps, with his weird hair and fashion sense. But as Hayato gets closer, there is a definite- for lack of a better word- /evil/ around the man. A kind of unnerving, predatory aura which pours out from him.
For a few moments, Freeman doesn't even seem aware of Hayato's presence. Certainly not bothering to show any visible sign of it if he has noticed the teacher. But then, he'd ignored the child as well. Freeman does not, as a rule, attack at random. Where was the skill in that? No, far better to plan out each detail long in advance, to make sure that each kill, each fight, each moment, is... perfect.
Nevertheless, eventually, Freeman comes to a halt. Turning to face Hayato a little more fully, his posture is lazy, as though the entire world is beneath his notice, and his head raises, the tangled mass of orange locks parting just enough that the glint of one eye can be made out, taking in Hayato, the figure of authority who stood before him. Somewhere in there, a slow smile paints itself on his features.
And still, he is silent. Standing stock still, and every inch of him practically screaming danger, he certainly seems relaxed enough, but he doesn't say a single word.
It takes quite a bit to scare Hayato, at least as far as personal danger goes. Somebody else in trouble? That could get him worried. But this is a man who has faced down psychic powered dictators and cybernetically enhanced would-be gods without flinching. The results in those cases were extremely painful, but Hayato never felt /afraid/ of them. And he doesn't feel afraid now. That does not, however, keep him from thinking that Freeman is really creepy.
But Hayato has a job to do, and part of that involves making sure that creepy people don't just wander around the campus with impunity. "Hey, if you're looking for something here I can help you find it. Otherwise I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."
The teacher's shinai is in a sling on the back of his jacket, but he doesn't need to have in his hand to look imposing to most people. His height and muscles generally take care of that for him, and all he has to do is look a little stern.
Freeman can respect the will of the teacher. After all, it's not like /every/ teacher in the world would have the guts to ask him to move on. Most would just call the police, and that tends to get rather irritating rather quickly. Still, Freeman himself is rather difficult to shake, and he knew better than most people that just height and muscles meant next to nothing without the skill to back it up. Though as he speaks, cogs begin to turn, and the killer actually straightens himself up, running his hands through his hair to clear it out of his eyes for a moment, arching his back in quite a bizarre way.
"/Nnnnnnnnngh/."
And then he's slouching forwards again, "I am looking to enjoy a quiet night." He speaks, his voice low, dark and hoarse, "You cannot help."
A moments pause, and then.
"... Unless you would like to die?"
Hayato stares at Freeman for a moment, then slowly rolls his neck from side to side with a series of popping noises. His face actually looks grim; an unusual expression for the teacher. "If that's meant to be a joke, it's not very funny."
Among other qualities he has, Hayato can be fairly quick to jump to conclusions. And he's also usually fairly straightforward and to the point. He's not stupid, but he generally just doesn't go in for guile. It also means he can just come out and ask Freeman, "Are you that killer the police are looking for?" Freeman is strange looking, has creepy mannerisms, and is talking about death. That's all Hayato really needs, but some confirmation wouldn't hurt. Well, wouldn't hurt Hayato. It will probably increase the energy he puts into attempting to beat Freeman senseless, though.
Freeman has to respect the forthrightness in Hayato's question. In fact, he quite liked this teacher. He had a lot of spirit. One might even say, /burning/ spirit. But be that as it may, he had no intention of answering that question. What was the point in it? If he said yes, then the police would definitely (rather than just probably) have more to go on. If he said no, he'd be denying his art. Either way, he had no real intention of killing Hayato. Not yet, anyway. It wouldn't be just right.
So in a way, it was a kind of joke. Not that he'd thought of what he'd do, exactly, if Hayato said /yes/ and begged for death. But that so rarely happens.
"You are boring me." He says, simply. "I am going to finish inspecting your... lovely school. Because maybe one day, I will want to ... work, here." Never before has the word 'work' been said with so much dripping menace.
"Now leave me in peace. You. Won't stop me."
And conversely, that statement really isn't a threat. It is said as a simple statement of fact.
Oh, Freeman did /not/ just threaten the students of Taiyo. There's very little that could be better calculated to get Hayato angry. He's got no clue who Freeman is, or how dangerous he might be, and frankly he doesn't really care. He'll let his fists inquire about that for him.
Taking a sudden step forward, Hayato lashes out with his right fist with a full-bodied hook for Freeman's jaw. /Then/ he continues to speak, "No, I think instead I'll turn you over to the police. I'm sure they'll love to hear all about why you're hanging out on school grounds after dark."
COMBATSYS: Hayato has started a fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hayato 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Freeman has joined the fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Freeman 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Hayato
COMBATSYS: Freeman blocks Hayato's Power Strike.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Freeman 0/-------/------=|-------\-------\0 Hayato
Freeman isn't surprised that Hayato was coming at him. That was, really, the point after all. What does surprise him is the force of the blow.
Twisting, his arm comes up to divert the force of it, but the shock of impact still wrenches him a little off his footing. Freeman's amusement seems to fade, and he shakes his head. "If that is how it is." He intones...
Refusing to back down, one arm aims to reach out, and snare Hayato's shoulder. If he can manage that, the surprisingly agile figure will simply dart up and slither around, one arm wrapping tight around Hayato's neck, before his other hand drives itself hard into the base of the teacher's spine. If all goes well, Hayato will be forced- at least momentarily- to flop to the ground, and Freeman can take a much needed second to reappraise where he stands against such impressive brute strength.
COMBATSYS: Freeman successfully hits Hayato with Morbid Angel.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////////// ]
Freeman 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Hayato
As a practioner of many sports, Hayato's body has developed for agility and flexibility as well as raw power, but Freeman's fluid movements are a shock. In just a moment the man is behind him, putting pressure on his spine from two different directions and dropping him to the ground.
It looks like it was pretty painful, but it also seems that Hayato received more of a surprise than any significant injury. He's still able to climb back to his feet easily enough, reaching over his shoulder with his right hand and grabbing his shinai.
It doesn't seem like there's much else to say to Freeman at this point, so Hayato doesn't bother, instead just lashing out at the killer. His shinai slashes in toward the base of Freeman's ribs on one side, then back across the ribcage in the opposite direction. Finally Hayato sweeps the blade up before bringing it down at a diagonal to crack Freeman in the side of the head.
COMBATSYS: Freeman counters Scolding Slash from Hayato with Nightmare.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
Freeman 0/-------/---====|==-----\-------\0 Hayato
Freeman moves forwards as Hayato comes at him. It's a testament to just how fluid the killer is, that as Hayato swings for his ribs, where most people would choose to jump, Freeman instead chooses to -duck-.
Like some twisted variant of limbo, the blows pass harmlessly above his head, the first meeting nothing but air, and the return likewise finding little purchase... the trouble is, that as Hayato raises his weapon, Freeman follows him up with it.
There's a momentary flash of bright orange, and the killer's nails rake the full way up Hayato's chest, a slashing tear which is followed by an easy, careless leap backwards. For a fighter as experienced as the phys ed teacher, who has faced off against the strongest powers in the world, it is immediately obvious that the sharpness... is not purely natural- or, more accurately, not purely physical. This is some sort of dark, horribly focused chi. Sharper than a razor blade and with far more control over its form and function.
Hayato recoils as a spray of blood flies from his chest. Freeman's clawing attack easily slices through the teacher's shirt and the flesh beneath, causing the white shirt to quickly become stained with red. Hayato briefly glances down, but just long enough to confirm that the wound doesn't go deep enough to be a major concern for the immediate future. He'll have to do something about the bleeding eventually, though.
But not until after he deals with Freeman. Hayato's willpower is enough to let him ignore a little scratch like this for a while when there's still someone who needs a thrashing in front of him. He leaps toward the killer, leading with his right leg for a kick to the chest... then kicking off of Freeman to spin around and quickly deliver another kick with his left foot before springing back to land in a crouch.
COMBATSYS: Freeman endures Hayato's Second Kick.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
Freeman 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Hayato
Freeman definitely feels the blows. The first smashes into his chest, but rather than buckle completely, he braces himself against the impact, his left leg sinks down a little, and his knee touches the floor. The second kick, likewise, finds its way home... but as Hayato pushes away, Freeman is already coming forwards, his eyes blazing with a fierce fury. The pain of those impacts had really woken him up. This was, obviously, no ordinary man... and now was the opportune moment.
"Stop fighting and die!" The killer hisses, the first actual words spoken since fists had been thrown, and his arms stretch up behind his head.
The volume of power thrown into the slashing attack speaks of a terrifying talent, but also a certain lack of finesse, brought on by the emotional investment in the fight. Both hands are brought down as fiercely as he can manage, and slashing energy burns in the night from each finger, aiming to crash against his opponents shoulders, and gouge deeply down, broadening the wounds he had already inflicted.
COMBATSYS: Hayato counters Phobia from Freeman with Counter Thrust.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Freeman 0/-------/=======|=====--\-------\0 Hayato
"No, I don't think so."
From his crouched position Hayato can see Freeman bearing down on him with both hands raised for the attack. Dangerous, but it actually makes things easier for Hayato. Because by aligning his body just so, he can slip between Freeman's arms as he springs back to his feet.
Naturally, this alone would be of limited utility, because Freeman would be able to quickly follow up by just gouging into Hayato's torso. But when he springs up Hayato leads with his fist, driving his knuckles into Freeman's chin and just continuing onward and upward without any regard for the obstacle in his path.
Freeman is stunned. The whole world is suddenly going /up/ and it takes him a moment to realize that this is because the agonizing blow has actually lifted him bodily from his feet, and before he could even think about venting some of his growing fury on this man, he was slamming into the ground, dazed and confused, and most definitely not at all happy.
To Freeman's credit, he doesn't stay down for very long. Back on his feet in a moment, this time, cracks his neck. "If you hadn't gotten in my way." He whispers, "I might have left this place alone. I might have. If you'd just gone down, I might have left -you- alone." This is said as he walks, slowly, carefully towards the man, judging his moment as perfectly as he can. "You should have-"
And suddenly he jumps forwards that last few feet, his foot lashing out and aiming to trip up the larger fighter, force him down to the ground, "/Listened/ to me!"
COMBATSYS: Freeman successfully hits Hayato with Quick Throw.
Glancing Blow
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////// ]
Freeman 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Hayato
Hayato spots the movements from Freeman that show the kick coming, and quickly tries to hop out of the way. He doesn't quite make it, though, one ankle getting clipped by Freeman's foot. It doesn't drop Hayato, but it does cause one foot to not land properly, resulting in him landing leavily with one knee on the ground.
This still leaves Hayato in a slightly higher stance than Freeman, though, so as he stands back up Hayato lunges forward, leading with his left fist for yet another blow to Freeman's head in an attempt to knock him down before he can fully stand back up.
COMBATSYS: Freeman blocks Hayato's Power Strike.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////// ]
Freeman 1/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Hayato
Freeman again finds himself turning aside an attack that has a shocking amount of power behind it, but this time, at least, he manages to stand firm against it. Frustrated by the stubborn refusal of Hayato to actually go down, the killer steps forwards, deciding to try and keep up the pressure a bit.
Suddenly, he jerks to the side, his elbow striking out to try and catch Hayato in the throat. If that succeeds, he'll sweep at his legs with a bit -more- conviction, one foot snaking around to wrench up suddenly with as much force as he can manage. Intent on bringing the big man down, because, he hopes, if he can force Hayato to the dirt, he can take back some control, and rip him to shreds.
COMBATSYS: Hayato interrupts Combo Grapple from Freeman with Devastation Kick.
[ \\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Freeman 1/--=====/=======|======-\-------\0 Hayato
Freeman's elbow does catch Hayato in the throat, thanks to the surprise of the sudden movement. It's not enough to knock Hayato back, however, and he was already in the middle of his own assault toward Freeman.
A moment later Hayato's leg finishes snapping out, driving a foot surrounded with fiery orange chi deep into Freeman's stomach. The impact is more than enough to push the two men apart, which is just as well for Hayato. He needs a moment of choking and coughing so that he can actually start breathing again.
Freeman doubles over with the force of the impact, the burning chi roars up Freeman's chest, and for a moment, the man actually looks like he's going to stay down. It was a very fine hit, after all.
But no. At the very least, Freeman is going to give Hayato one more thing to think about. Rising up from the floor, there is a powerful growl building in the back of Freeman's throat, as his hands shake, his whole body tensing up with his anger. How dare this man get in his way? How dare he plough through everything he had to throw at him?! No, this would not be tolerated!
There's no shout or cry to accompany it, instead, Freeman hurls his arms forwards, and a bright crescent of flashing red energy bursts into being. The intent- as unlikely as it is to work, of course- is as simple as it is deadly, to simply cleave Hayato into two equal pieces, horizontally.
The only question is... does he stay down?
COMBATSYS: Freeman can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hayato 0/-------/-======|
COMBATSYS: Freeman successfully hits Hayato with Full Blast.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Hayato 1/-------/=======|
Despite the ensuing spray of blood, Hayato doesn't actually get cut in half. He's just that thickly built. He does, however, now have a rather deep cut across his torso, spraying blood as he falls backward from a combination of pain, shock, and the impact from the blow. He hits the ground hard, small pools of blood already starting to form around him. Yeah, he's going to need to get some medical attention after this.
He's only briefly out of the fight, though. The wound is serious, but staying on his back is just inviting even more serious wounds. At least... it would, if Freeman was still there. When Hayato sits up he can't see his opponent around anywhere. He quickly spins around, but no, Freeman isn't behind him, either. "...What the hell was that, a ghost?"
COMBATSYS: Hayato has ended the fight here.
Log created on 13:42:18 01/22/2010 by Freeman, and last modified on 17:48:38 01/22/2010.