Description: Following the assault upon Abobo's supposed location, and the shifting of gears that has ensued for the pair of schoolgirls infiltrating his emptied inner sanctum, the focus shifts to an unsung hero of the battlefield. Mr. Jones had been tasked with running interference on the ground away from the warehouse itself, backed up by Ladies' Team girls arrayed behind emplacements surrounding the area. He finds less resistance than expected, making short work of his foes, but when he returns to the barricades... he's in for a shocking twist-turn, and a heated confrontation.
War has come to the industrial district, though not on the scale that many would have liked; where the band of heroes expected dozens arrayed against them - perhaps even more - they found a mere half dozen men, including a scattering to confront those who breached the rooftop of the warehouse. With the mysterious Gato mysteriously missing, the inimitable Mr. Jones was left to deal with the outer portion of resistance himself-- a task the stalwart hero of Sunshine has likely been more than equal to. And as the clouds of violence clear...
All beyond that point is still, the explosive entry of Hyo and Sakura upon the roof leaving a hanging cloud of silent smoke above the warehouse, the rest of the operation having proceeded swiftly. Orders have been relayed however, and a stone's throw away, upon the perimeter, shouts begin to go up. The voices of young, rambunctious women joining in a unison that breaks the quiet like a sledgehammer through a store window. There are sounds of violence also, the thudding of fist and hurled blade erupting staccato through the night.
Venturing closer reveals a trio of Ladies' Team stalwarts still standing, a few indistinct forms lying unconscious and broken in the gloom around them. They all seem familiar enough, clad in the iconic uniform of Seijyun, each with their own particular modifiations; though the tallest also wears a surgical mask in a manner clearly some kind of homage to Aoi Himezaki herself. Two of them are conversing in low, hurried tones, and the furthest of the three - almost lost in the darkness - appears to be speaking to herself.
Bursts of static can be heard occasionally, giving the game away. She's using a tactical radio unit.
Made it! When Sonia had intercepted Jones a few hours ago when he was en route to Zaki's hide out, it all looked over for our hero. With the funk deserting him, Sonia would surely do short work of the the bewildered Disco fighter cutting his quest for justice short. By sheer tenacity and a fair bit of luck however Jonesy managed to break free of the ambush and arrive just in time to join in with the first wave of fighters sent to assault Abobo's perimeter. Brushing off blood from his busted lip and shaking off the bruises Sonia had giving him earlier, the Groove Master got back into the rhythm of violence with a cheeky grin and entered the fray.
It was a pity that the indomitable Gato would not be joining him in this dance tonight, more so because of their previous encounter at the Neo Leauge. Surely they were fated to fight the good fight together, thought Jones, as one of the few representing Kung Fu in the league their paths were destined to converge so that the two could learn from each other, Jonesy becoming a better fighter and Gato perhaps learning how to turn that frown upside down as lofty as that ideal may be.
The funky flows were apparently still in upheaval, as was Jones' luck, for in the end he had to tackle on this challenge all by his lonesome and provide the distraction Zaki's troops needed to enter the battle grounds proper. Thus the Groove Master stood alone staring down at six mafia looking cats in business suits and shades, all ready to knuckle up and put the bruise on Mister Jones.
"What!?" Jonesy looked undaunted as he grinned, flicking his nunchucks back and forth before finally settling them under his armpit, a thumb reaching up to brush his nose in typical martial art fashion. "There's only six of you!!?"
The revolution would sadly not be televised tonight, and it was a pity too because the following scene would be worthy of the big screen. Jones as usual proving exactly why he never used any doubles in his action movies when he cleaned the proverbial floor with the thugs, nunchucks, kicks and fists flying faster than the normal eye could see until the broken bloodied bodies of Abobo's thugs were littering the ground. Or maybe they weren't Abobo's thugs? Jones cared not, if someone got in between him and Justice, they were going down.
"YEAH! Who's hustling who, sucka!!" With the fight ending with Jones prompting a bodyguard next to a well and repeatedly stomping his face in, the Groove Master took a step back and spat in the ground to reconsider things. This had been too easy, mind you he /does/ make fighting look easy, but this was unnervingly so, very anti climatic, not worthy of a movie ending for sure.
Something was amiss here.
Grumbling as a feeling for dread took over him, Jonesy glanced at his wrist watch to see where was he supposed to be a this time. Having synchronized it with the others, Jones had only been allowed five minutes to take care of Abobo's chumps before meeting up with the main group. "Eh, three and a half, I coulda done better." Mussing to himself, the Disco Fighter sets his chucks back on his belt to run up into the mysterious fog of war, emerging on the other side where he spots an intriguing trio of ladies.
They look like Seijyun gals, are they stranded and lost as he is? "Yo!" Jones calls to them raising a greeting hand to hail them, he wants to avoid friendly fire as much as possible due to the fog. "Wazzup girls!? What's the word from the main boss lady?" They don't appear to be the main group, could be a reckon group or something of the sort, but Jones doesn't remember that being part of the plan.
Something fishy's going on around here and he doesn't like it.
The whole, bloody affair has the air not just of an anti-climax - but almost a screwjob, that rank scent filling Jones' nostrils well-scented indeed. As he draws closer he might pick up fragments of the conversation in progress, telling as it is.
"Oi, Manami," inquires the smaller of the conversing pair, idly flicking a butterfly knife through dextrous fingers. A curious sheen in the dim moonlight accounts for the presence of blood upon the blade, flecks of crimson dancing wisplike into the air. "You really think it was a good idea to take out Imawano's guys?" She bobs her head at one of the downed forms. "It's not like we actually had orders to do that..."
Reaching to brush a few stray bangs of dark hair from her face, pulling them back into the long mass sweeping back over her shoulders and plunging down to the waist, the girl introduced as Manami emits a delicate snort. Though clearly styled after Zaki's image, she moves more pleasantly, picking her way along the sandbags lining the barricade to nudge a toe into the indicated, black-clad body. The betrayed ninja isn't dead, but he's out hard and cold, not emitting so much as a murmur as the Ladies' Team lieutenant rolls him onto his back.
"If Zaki's doing this, there's no turning back. We leave these men behind us, they insert a dagger." Her voice is quieter than the sukeban's, with less a compelling edge of command, though her level of self-assurance is unerringly similar. The cant of her chin as she turns to observe the other girls, too. "Do you want to be the one blamed for our failure? You heard Kurumi. We're to move on the town hall, round up the officials. Anyone escapes, we hound them down; anyone dares to cross us, we do whatever's necessary. We're bringing the city to its--"
"Huh?" All eyes are suddenly upon Mr. Jones as he cries out, one last crackle of radio static erupting from the rearmost before the unit is dropped heavily to the floor. "Well, what we do about /him/?" The girl with the butterfly knife glances between the others, though as she turns to look at she-shrouded-in-shadow there's a harsh bark of laughter. There's a sense, briefly, of battle about to erupt, before Manami sweeps out an arm.
"Get out of here, Hamuko! Round up the others!" When the smallest of the three hesitates, Manami thrusts out a finger encased in a fine silk glove, pointing commandingly off toward the outer city. "That's an order. You don't need to worry about Jones. We'll deal with him."
"Damn right we will!!" Comes a brash yell from the rearmost girl, who takes a stamping step forward and then vaults over the barricade, flashing a bright and mocking grin through the night. A hand reaches to mime itching at her armpit, as Kurumi does what she does best: irritate and annoy. "Hey, Mr. Monkey Man, it's been a long time." Probably not long enough. "Where's your pet giraffe, huh? Scared I'd kick her ass again?!"
"/Kurumi/. We don't have to fight him. Jones," By contrast to the odious creature the action hero has already encountered, Manami seems reasonable, and makes no move to appear threatening. "There's been a change of plan. Zaki didn't find Abobo, but she did find out what's been happening to the missing people in this city... it's a plot, and we meant to end it. Starting at the top, and working our way down. Are you with us?"
Ah, the indiscretions of youth. It is Mister Jones' hope that one day he can bring some semblance of a Civil Right's movement here in Sunshine City, maybe with the rampant xenophobia gone it would be a better place for all. Perhaps it wouldn't stop the kidnapping and torturing and kidnapping of innocent schoolgirls, but it would be a start. Jones' smile doesn't crack when he hears the familiar voice of Kurumi spouting bigoted remarks his way, he remembers the encounter with the uppity girl when she ruined his date with Elena. It is because he remembers such a thing that he doesn't falter in his step any, Jonesy remembers well, not only on his mind but on his body too, that nauseating feeling of meeting someone that judges you by the color of your skin or the land where you were born. It is not the first time that Jonesy meets people like Kurumi, probably won't be the last either, and this grim acceptance of the nature of humanity is what helps him brush off any annoyance he might have for the girl, just like he did when he and Elena first met her.
For Elena, that may have been her first brush with racism, but Jones, pfft, he's grown numb to such petty affairs. He lets it all dribbled down like water, bouncing off his thick skin just like movie critics or punches. He just keeps on grinning as he approaches, blood stained nunchucks dangling from his belt "Oh don't worry none toots, she's just letting you take a breather before knocking yo' ass flat again." He may be ignoring the comments of him being a monkey and Elena being a giraffe, but that don't mean he's not gonna talk smack back.
Fluctuating between smooth funky scrapper and justice oriented hero is not hard when you are Mista' Jones. He gave the wayward Kurumi just the right amount of attention necessary to let her know he has not forgotten her because turning his gaze to the one in charge, the one who seems to be the greatest Zaki fan in the lot by even cosplaying as her. Johnny approaches with a determined step until he's just a few meters away, sensing danger. The scent of blood is thick in the air around the girls meaning they had just taken some one out, but if Jones took care of Abobo's men just now then who was left for them to fight? Eyebrows furrow skeptically as Johnny Jones begins to put his senses to work, he may not be the sharpest tack in the box, but as an enlightened martial artist, the man knows how to deduce something is wrong by taking whatever subtle hints he can find.
Although it doesn't take a detective to know that the delinquent girls are not too happy to see him, even if he is supposed to be an ally.
"Whoa! Hold up! What was that?" If they couldn't find Abobo then why are they all wasting time here? "Waddaya mean just a plot? Where are the missing girls??" Wasn't that their main priority? "Yo, I said I was with ya but I gotta know what's going on babe, where's Zaki? I ain't doing nothing 'till someone fills me in, ya hear?"
Racism is a fact of life, much like war; the manner of which they're now embroiled in. Kurumi isn't completely untypical of the particular breed of teenager raised in Japan, insular and jingoistic by way of upbringing more than vast personal defect-- though she certainly has her share of that as well. It's why she responds to Jones' countering taunt with a callous sneer and a shift into something close to the battle stance he'll recognize from before; Tang Soo Do, indeed, loose and springy on her long legs, though only one arm raises for now, the other hanging at her side in a display of utmost nonchalance belied by the tension through her frame.
It's not hard to tell, but Kurumi wants this to turn into a fight. She's practically begging for it.
"Oh, I'll fill you in alright!!" Comes her own immediate reply to Jonesy's completely reasonably request. She even starts toward him, clenching the wayward fist just above her hip, starting to close... when Manami's arm snaps out once more, this time bearing a flash of cold steel as chain links unwind from around her dainty fist. Harsh is the sound of smacking flesh as a welt immediately appears across Kurumi's cheek, the sideward flick of her head accompanied by a pained snarl soon disquieted when dark eyes flash to meet the lieutenant's own, cool and steady.
"They're lost to us," Manami replies then, drawing back the chain with a flick of her wrist, not quite so practiced as the sukeban herself but more effortless. More graceful. Keeping one eye on the brash delinquent, she looks at Jones askance from her position behind the barricade. "I don't know the details, but we've been told to pull back. We're targeting the town hall. This city's problems don't start out here, Mr. Jones; they begin at home. Like I said, at the top. We'll round up the officials, and start hurting people until we get answers."
It's a blunt admission, made without regret, though with considerable wariness visible even behind that surgical mask. The tall girl is sizing him up, watching for any discernable reaction before presumably allowing her vicious attack dog to mount a charge. Tension hangs thick with the scent of blood in the air.
"Abobo was always a decoy. Forget about him. You're with us?"
Polished links rattle about her wrist. She doesn't need to add the cliched line. Either he is... or he isn't.
Oh, Jones knows perfectly well that most of Kurumi's attitude is mostly not her fault. She has after all been raised in a secluded country were foreigners are mistrusted at best and keeping close personal ties with everyone of your same clan is the norm. She could almost be excused for her attitude due to ignorance, if the same thing could not be applied to just about everyone else that shares her ideology. Mister Jones didn't need to travel to Japan to get a taste of racism, he could have just stayed in Metro City were the downtrodden remain where they are unless they join a gang and start a life of crime.
Yes, Mister Jones may excuse Kurumi's attitude, but he does not forgive her. He obviously expects the girl to flip a lid at any point now and rush at him with her amateurish Tang Soo Do he has seen her do. She's probably the best student in her class, causing her to eagerly test her mettle against anyone that she meets which in turn causes her to make about any excuse to pick fights. Reckless, hot blooded, ignorant and with a chip on her shoulder, terrible terrible combinations. At least it's true what they say, that youth is wasted on the young.
Jones doesn't move when she makes her stance, he is not here to fight these girls! He is here to protect them! The Ex-Movie Star merely slips his hands on his pockets as Kurumi gets ready to rush him, fully expect her to get intercepted by her taller and more refined compatriot. There's a satisfying *SMACK* as Manami does indeed put the law down and knocks some sense into Kurumi, with Jones only barely able to sustain his grin.
It's a sense of satisfaction that lasts for about two seconds before Manami gives him the bad news.
"They're what!!?" No...how could they...if Manami was waiting for a reaction from Jones she might be just slightly surprised to see in him full on DESPAIR. Jones reaches for his curly locks of hair to cling at them in fistfulls, tugging hard at his afro. It wasn't supposed to be like this, he was supposed to go in, kick ass and save the girls! Now, he only finds that he is yet again too late.
Jezebel, Adon, Naerose, Quon and now...Hamada. Another name to tack on to the list of botched rescues. Another mark of shame for the fake hero.
"Balls..." Comes Mister Jones' eloquent curse. Though in this hectic world there is naught but a few precious moments to despair. These girls, they don't even get a moment of mourning, because no sooner has Manami dropped the bomb she's already demanding new things of Mister Jones. "Wh-what?" His shades covered eyes glance up as she proclaims that Town Hall is their next target. What nonsense is that!?
"Town Hall...? Are..are you kidding? I've never liked the popo but that's..." Not without evidence he wants to say, but he knows that ain't the answer these ladies seek. "Is that a radio? Look, lemme just talk to Zaki for a bit. I just wanna know what's going on!"
A reasonable request perhaps. But if he has learned something here is that schoolgirls are anything but reasonable.
Beneath the mask, there's a sympathetic downward quirk of Manami's mouth as she watches the funky kung fu master's reaction. Her eyes flicker toward the floor, then back up as she draws in a slow, cooling breath and nods. Despite her ultimatum, and their generally confrontational attitude, the girl herself appears to be as human as any of them have been. "We've all lost things in this war," she states quietly, "And we'll lose more unless--" The radio. A panicked glance slips sidelong, and then she's drawing herself up rather too abruptly. "Yes, it's a radio."
A radio, lying beside one of Hyo Imawano's men, unconscious and bleeding from several stab wounds. Manami attempts to be halfway subtle about it at least, leaning into one hip, disguising a sidestep behind a relaxing sway. It's not very convincing, especially when the man stirs and lets out a groan.
"Shit," utters the previously-composed, graceful girl, glancing hurriedly between Kurumi and Jones. The former is already moving, taking several steps forward to place her between the action star and the sandbagged barricade, both hands now up in a guard as she faces him down. Any chance at intimidation is lost by the face she gives up a foot in height, never mind that he's beaten her into the ground once already. "Kurumi..."
"I'm gonna give you one chance, Mr. Monkey Man. Turn and walk the hell away, or you're first on our list." There's a seething sound from her apparent superior, following by the 'K-' that begins her name, but the brash karateka cuts it off with a loud yell. "NO! I'm done. Just like this goddamn city! We've lost friends, and we've been embarassed at every turn by stupid, ignorant bastards!! This one's just the same, Manami! He'll be with us until we 'go too far' or insult some dumb bitch who's got no business messing with us. ENOUGH! EVERYTHING BURNS!"
At which point she's snapping up one long, stocking-clad leg, seeking to plow her foot right into those shades.
Manami's vaulting the barricade the instant it happens, chain unravelling and her quiet eyes aflame, but she's too late to intercede into that strike-- Jones may be good enough to deal with it, but the declaration's been laid down and they seem to be at war once more.
COMBATSYS: Kurumi has started a fight here on the right meter side.
COMBATSYS: Manami has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
COMBATSYS: Manami has joined the fight here in the center.
COMBATSYS: MrJones has joined the fight here.
COMBATSYS: MrJones blocks Kurumi's Medium Kick.
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MrJones 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Kurumi
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Manami 0|-------|-------
"Yo! Chill out girl!"
A brotha' can never catch a break is what Mister Jones thinks. It appears that no matter how hard he tried all hell was going to break loose in Sunshine City, and not even Jonesy's overpowering funk could stop it. No sooner had Mister Jones spotted the radio, Kurumi is having another one of her preteen PMS moments, totally flipping out as she sings her hatred for everyone and everything before she jumps over the barricade to attack him.
Poor Jones, he doesn't even /know/ who the stabbed, groaning man is, had the two girls played it cool they could have just said he was another Abobo goon and not an ally they had just betrayed. All the Funky Fighter sees now is one pissed off girl that has been gunning for him ever since they met, simply because he just so happens to be a black man.
A brotha can never catch a break indeed.
"Girl, you is tripping!" Says Jonesy as Kurumi sends a straight kick to his grill to knock his teeth out. Out of reaction, Johnny simply places a palm forward to stop the incoming attack whilst moonwalking to the side still trying to avoid a confrontation. He didn't want to fight Kurumi back at the club when she was picking on Elena, and he sure as hell doesn't want to fight her now!
"Listen sweetheart, you don't need to impress me or anything. I know you're a good fighter! If you want an autograph you just need to say it!"
Hyeah...since Jones' diplomatic skills...kinda suck...he has to relay in comedy to defuse the situation.
COMBATSYS: MrJones concentrates on the Groove.
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MrJones 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Kurumi
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Manami 0|-------|-------
Spirits are running high. Half the Ladies' Team has been up in arms over the decision to work with Hyo Imawano since the first ripples of rumour began to beset them; and even though the details of the plan have been kept secretive up until the implementation, it only takes one word here and another there for wild conclusions to be drawn. Communication now has opened up enough for perhaps three or four filtered words in their place, and with Manami's position as the closest Zaki has to a 'second'... inevitably Kurumi has been privy to more than most. Betrayal burns in hot-blooded veins, and the same anger buoying the sukeban sends this one flying heavenward.
Literally, as she stamps her foot down and tracks the evading Jones with a snarl, twisting about with guard held high and lithe frame exploding with energy. The scuffle with the pair of downed shinobi has only made things worse-- Kurumi wants this fight more than anything, and as Manami reaches out to stop her--
""Autograph!?" She's already left the ground, flinging herself into a violent horizontal leap, a twist of her body carrying her into a deft side kick designed to send the taunting hero stumbling back. If she can find purchased with that, she pivots in mid-air, springboarding from his chest to gain the airtime she needs to throw in a second, much larger blow; a fierce axe-kick, right atop his affro-bedecked skull. "HRAAAAAH!!"
On landing, she's panting with ferocious indignation. "Why would I want an autograph from someone like you! This is your fault! The only reason this city's in such a mess," her lips curl to a cruel, ugly sort of sneer, as she clenches her fists hard, "IS STUPID MONKEYS LIKE YOU CAN'T DEFEND IT!!"
Behind her, the statuesque Manami has halted her frantic advance, aware she can't prevent this conflict without drawing violence of her own to bear. The chain hangs at her side, swatting impatient against her right calf as she turns her frustrated gaze to Mr. Jones. "She doesn't cover her midsection," she calls out, breathing a long-suffering sigh, "Take her down quickly and we can talk about this. But she's not wrong; it's time we took this situation into our own hands, and that means breaking the law. It means tearing down everything that represents this city, burning out the rot from the inside and forcing it to start again. If we have to..."
And then she gets to the crux of the matter. The meaning behind all of this. The choice Jones must make.
"We'll leave this whole town burning. If you won't ever let it come to that, maybe this is right."
COMBATSYS: Manami assists MrJones.
COMBATSYS: MrJones interrupts Flying Double Kick from Kurumi with Slide Double.
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MrJones 0/-------/----===|=====--\-------\0 Kurumi
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Manami 0|-------|-------
Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to avoid it, no matter how funky or how much good intentions you have, sometimes...fighting is just inevitable. This is the grim truth of the world where they all live, violence is part of life just like everything else. Would it not be like that, if conflicts could truly be solved with only words, then Mister Jones would honestly not be the man that he is today. Jonesy is a funky fun loving dude, an entertainer that just has a great time making other people laugh. In fact, if he wasn't such a badass he might be better of as a comedian!
But, alas, Jonesy knows very well that despite your best intentions sometimes you just have to fight...
For your right....
To partyyyyyy!!
Jones ain't gonna let nobody cramp his style, it's perhaps the only reason why he learned martial arts. If he can't make people leave him be to do what he's doing, then he is going to /make/ them. A brutal choice forged out from a brutal world, Mister Jones holds no ill towards the spunky girl that now barrels towards him with such unnatural rage, he has tried time and time again to avoid a confrontation with her. Yet now, just as Manami realizes, he is certain that the only way to reach her is by speaking her language.
The language of pain.
"Oh fo' real??" Jonesy skips backwards to avoid the side kick sent at his mid section whilst keeping his other senses open, wary if the other girl might try to attack him or not. In his alertness he hears Manami informing him of Kurumi's glaring weakness, it's just a small amount of info, but a fighter such as himself is more than capable to capitalize on it. Shades flicker with moonlight as they often do when Jonesy spots an opening and as the reckless Kurumi comes down with her axe kick, tha' Jones smirks when he notices that she is indeed leaving her stomach open. "Well, how about that?"
"WOOATAAA!!"
What happens next is Jones moving his head slightly to the side so as to take the axe kick on his shoulder, leaving Kurumi standing on one leg long enough to deliver a forceful piston like punch right for her kidneys.
Good thing Elena isn't here to see that, she would never forgive him if she found he was beating up school girls. But this is what Kurumi wants and he does love pleasing fans.
Jones pushes the girl off after striking her letting her hit the ground butt first and moonwalks away from her, hands on his pockets. "Come on, you wanted to dance didn't ya??" Jonesy grins and flicks his nose, adjusting his stance back to his signature Jeet Kune Do.
"Then let's dance."
That opening is found, and exploited; though it should be, it was Jones himself who spotted it during his previous fateful encounter with Kurumi. But there have been many fights since then, for he and the girl both... her failure to correct her defensive oversight reflects poorly on her nature. Her approach to this conflict has been to rage in, a loose cannon exploding at whatever she sees fit, and it sets the graceful Manami to a scowl as she watches the smaller girl fly back, crumpling against the edge of the barricade with a sputtering squelch as she coughs up a mouthful of blood. Violence haunts them all, even when they should be working together...
"F-Fine, you piece of trash..." Kurumi's voice is shaking, but she forces herself upright nonetheless, her stockings ripped and blouse filthy as she stands there in the gloom. Off to her flank, her superior takes a warning step forward, chain letting out another arrythmic jangle, the polished links catching moonlight. "He won't work with us!" The brash delinquent continues, lost in the heat, "HE'S JUST LIKE THEM!!"
With that roar she's surging forward again, entering a headlong sprint that sees her Tang Soo Do stance abandoned in favour of something more akin to street brawling - there's trained power behind it, and her body mechanics are correct, but she's not trying to show her skill here. She's just trying to break the nearest thing she can see to the imposing, unbreakable wall they've spent months now trying to bust through. It doesn't matter that Jones has the best of intentions, it doesn't matter where they might agree; it's what he symbolizes, to her. This nation full of foreigners inclined to loaf and moan rather than resolve their problems, allowing a dirty law enforcement agency to nurture the gang war consuming their city. Allowing girls like them to be scapegoated. Used. Abused.
"Kurumi, that's enough!"
Manami's cry certainly can't stop her. When she's close enough, Kurumi just /screams/ and throws a wild haymaker, seeking to plow her fist in a lunging hook past her yelling face to bodily explode against the sternum. There's nothing pretty about it, no great technique or subtle ministrations, this is just the style of the street she purports to represent. The style of real people, not heroes, just those who want to live unimpeded by the horrors that others would inflict in the name of material gain. Kurumi is a nasty little troll...
But the sad thing is, she's almost righteous.
"Listen to me, Jones!" Shouts Manami, shifting targets, "You want to stop this? Then HELP. Help us tear this evil regime down!"
COMBATSYS: Manami takes no action.
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MrJones 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Kurumi
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Manami 0|-------|-------
COMBATSYS: MrJones blocks Kurumi's Aggressive Strike.
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MrJones 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Kurumi
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Manami 0|-------|-------
Oh yeah, Mister Jones /did/ tell Elena in that fateful meeting that Kurumi doesn't cover her midsection. Many fights have occurred since then, and to be honest, Kurumi was naught but a minor distasteful spec that lingered in Mister Jones' mind. Memories of that evening are only of azure eyes, smiling cheerful lips, ivory hair, chestnut skin. In fact, it's only Mister Jones' refusal to ever forget a dance partner that maintains Kurumi in his mind at all, that she somehow managed to keep a place in his memory amongst all his thoughts of Elena proves how irritating she can be, but that's the extent of her presence in Jonesy's mind. It would take a few moments more of inspection for Jones to kick start his memory and remember all he had gathered from the girl's style.
In the end this is ultimately worthless seeing as Kurumi is just one of those kids that do not know how to merge their rage with skill, it's either one or the other for the prodigal Tang Soo Do practitioner as no sooner has she gotten back to her feet that she forgets all martial skill to surge with a wild haymaker towards Jones' sternum. Even in her wild unpredictable state, Johnny is able to read her like a book and lifts a leg up to defend his mid section, taking the blow right in the knee rather than in more squishy parts of his body.
His situation may be radically different than that of Kurumi, but in essence he too comes from the same path of life. Rise above a tough neighborhood to embrace fame and glory, which in turn will give him the means to help those that will come after him, the new generation. It is why he gravitates to Zaki's cause, in her he sees the radical mind of someone that shares his ideas of righteous battle against the upper class. But this... Kurumi's rage, the wild plan to bring down Town Hall and all the officials of Sunshine City.
It sounds like something Abobo would do.
Does he have to turn into something he hates to bring about this change?
"Hrrgg!!" He can't think of such deep things whilst in mid fighting, contrary to popular belief, talking is not a free action!! Particularly when you got a rabid school girl in your case. "I have to talk to Zaki first dang it!!! I /need/ the full story!!"
At the very least Mister Jones is willing to listen, he may yet be persuaded to go along with all this madness. But if they wish to recruit him, swinging fists at him is not the right way to go!
"SHOO!!" Jonesy swings a fist of his own right at Kurumi's face while she's recovering from her haymaker. Just a pop right in the nose to get her to calm down via pain!
COMBATSYS: MrJones successfully hits Kurumi with Gaudy Punch.
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MrJones 0/-------/-======|=======\===----\1 Kurumi
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Manami 0|-------|-------
Even at her full faculties, even under controlled conditions where she weren't empowered by a fierce and ill-directioned rage, poor Kurumi would be totally out of her depth in this fight. It's happened before, and it happens again now, her wild blow jarring aside with a crack of popping knuckles that causes enough damage by itself; tears explode in her eyes once the hit is defended thus, and she almost falls then and there. The striking fist does its work before she can even retract her hand to block. Jones hits like a bullet train, and Kurumi goes down like she's been struck by one between the eyes, more blood sputtering from her nose and lungs as she hits the ground. Behind them, Manami can be heard clearing her throat, drawing herself upright, and starting forward.
A hand descends upon Jones' shoulder-- the sort of dangerous action that might be taken as an assault, and she presses firmly enough it could easily be construed to be a grapple of some sort. Only the relative slowness of her approach is on her side, there, but maybe she doesn't care, at this point. She's seen enough. Neither of the combatants here seems to be in the right; they're just confused, lashing out.
"Stop it."
"W-Why would he?" Sneers Kurumi as tears stream from her eyes, her mouth forming a rictus as she tries to fight back the overwhelming pain and shame of this encounter. That stare gleams with the desire for violence, plain and bloody-minded, but there's something else there now-- she may be a cruel delinquent, a bully to her peers and a severe irritation to her betters, but the stocking-clad karateka is also scared. They stand on a battlefield, on the verge of something worse than another battle, and she's /terrified/. "He won't listen to you, YOU DUMB BITCH--hrngh..." Shouting sets her head to spinning, and she almost vomits, swallowing it back as she pushes herself to her knees, shaking all over. "Won't listen to me... prob'ly won't listen to Zaki... just like the others...."
Her stare intensifies, blood continuing to trickle away as she meets Jones' shade-covered gaze.
'Hit me', says her broken, beaten expression, 'Finish it'.
COMBATSYS: Manami takes no action.
COMBATSYS: Kurumi drops her guard to recover.
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MrJones 0/-------/-======|=======\===----\1 Kurumi
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Manami 0|-------|-------
Kurumi may be an honest to goodness wild child, a girl that just taps into that rage, misguided as it may be, and lets is all out with wild abandon. It's what probably makes her an incredible fighter, the top student at her Tang Soo Do class and yes, it's probably also what makes her a bully to her peers and a severe irritation to her betters. She's prodigal and rowdy..
But she's not Funky.
Jonesy never loses composure even in life and death situations, to lose control of his body would mean being unable to keeping hearing the beat. When the music stops, so does Jones and the rhythm that he had kept in his mind comes to a grinding halt when his knuckles collide against Kurumi's nose sending the girl flying with a now blood covered face staining her comely young features. Like someone scratching the record of a disco beat, Jones just comes to a halt as if he had hit a brick wall, the smug look on his face twisting to that of deep shame and regret.
What is he doing?? Is this what the Groovy Mister Jones does now? Beat little girls for a living?
"Sheeyit..I'm sorry!!" At this point it didn't take Manami's soothing, gloved hand to grasp his shoulder. Jonesy's spirit is not in this fight, that he has done so well is only because the blatant difference in experience between him and the girl that really doesn't know any better. His shoulders deflate and he looks away from the accusing stare Kurumi gives him, refusing to meet her very resolute, but also very scared stare. It really does bother him that Kurumi keeps thinking of him as 'one of those guys', has he not done to earn their trust!? What more does he need to do to prove that he's the Groovy guy he portrays himself to be??
"Okay, okay...you know what? Fine! You win!" He moves away from Manami and throws his arms up in the air, back towards them to avoid those hateful mistrusting eyes they give him.
"I'll do it. I'm with you.." The Groove Master takes that leap of faith, thinking of what his heroes in the movies would do. They would always side with the peasants to overthrow an evil shogun, and perhaps, this is just like that.
He turns to look mostly at Manami, though a side long glance as cast to the kneeled Kurumi still feeling horrible for what he did to her. "Just tell me what to do.." Sighs he almost in defeat, pretty much now recruited to fight for the Seijyun high.
If he can just stick around these girls for long enough, then maybe he can reach Zaki and then clear up this whole mess.
He cannot walk away from this debacle, a hero always has to make a choice, even if that choice is not the right one.
But it beats standing around doing nothing anyway.
COMBATSYS: MrJones stop dancing for a minute. Phew!
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MrJones 0/-------/-======|=======\===----\1 Kurumi
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Manami 0|-------|-------
A hero can have everything; power, technique, absolute conviction and justice in his soul. But the belief of others? That's something even the mightiest, most righteous of men must earn through their deeds and courage alone, against the greatest adversity and the most unlikely tests. That Mr. Jones stands here now confronted by a crazed teenage girl, that he's been force to strike her down not once - but twice - speaks not ill of him, but is testament only to the challenges that men of that calibre must face. Being a hero isn't easy...
Sometimes, it doesn't even feel right.
When Jones draws back his fists of fury, something changes on the face of the battered, brutalized Kurumi. It's not a good change at first, scowl turning derisive as her posture sinks like that of a wounded animal, her dark-featured face turning away, a long sweep of tangled black hair falling to cover her expression. When she lifts her head once more, breathing in deeply, she's actually let some of those tears fall, rippling stains marking a trail through the dirt upon her cheeks. Her mouth is a grim line, but at least she doesn't seem disgusted any more, nor hateful; it's the closest concession she can make to saying thank you, as she sniffs up a line of clotting blood and starts to struggle upright, supporting herself on the nearest sandbag.
"Thank you." Others, say it more directly. Manami's hand relaxes and leaves Jones' shoulder as his guard is so thoroughly lowered, her own head bowing not to hide her fears and mask her hatred, but in genuine gratitude. The toughness in her bearing is quite unlike anything shown by the other girls-- she's more natural with it, representing something quite alarmingly close to the 'perfect' template that Seijyun's pupils are honed toward being. That mask aside, she could almost be one of the new breed of strong Japanese women taking offices and courthouses by storm. And yet she's here, in a grungey battlefield, preparing to march on the heads of state.
"The path ahead is cruel, and cold, and brutal," she continues, breathing in slowly, winding the chain back around her wrist, "But we believe in it. Zaki believes in it. We can't make you feel the same way," frowning, she steps away and turns her back on Jones for a moment. Trusting, to the extreme. "But at least promise you'll either help us, or leave us to dig our own grave. We don't want to hurt anyone who doesn't deserve it-- we want to end this city's pain, and remove some of the hate from this world with it. Kurumi, and those like her..."
A glance goes to the grimacing girl, now leaned against the barricade, catching her breath.
"They were made by this society. As were we all." The emotion in her voice causes it to crack, and she shakes her head, looking back to Jones with a smile beneath the mask that well reaches her cool amber eyes. "Zaki's told us to gather toward the town hall, moving through any resistance we encounter. That includes the police. We're not to do anything more until she and Kurosaki arrive. You can decide then if you're one of us--"
"Or one of them." Kurumi cuts in, prompting a sharp hiss and a shake of the head from Manami.
"No. It's not like that!" Back to the kung fu star, she breathes a sigh, "Stand in our midst, or walk away. Your choice."
COMBATSYS: Manami has left the fight here.
COMBATSYS: Kurumi has left the fight here.
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MrJones 0/-------/-======|
Yeah well, isn't that why he joined in on the War? Why he's even here in the first place? Mister Jones is sick and tired of no one taking him seriously, his ideals are sincere and he is ready to prove it. Not to say that he is shallow enough to simply use the girl's plight as an excuse to make the head lines of tomorrow (even if that does sound like good publicity hmm..he should have talked to his agent about it first) he truly does believe in the girl's cause. Jones has been waiting for an opportunity like this to present itself since forever, a rising young heroic idealist he can back up, even if it ends up destroying the status quo and by consequence so does his social status.
%g Because in the end if he has to pick between keeping his fame and doing justice, he will always pick the latter.
Jones still keeps his gaze away from the girls, he catches bits and pieces of Kurumi's scowling gaze of bitter gratitude as well as glancing at Manami's formal bow of respect, though their meaning is mostly lost in him. Japanese culture is so weird! Why can't they just tell him something straight?? If it ain't Kurumi's passive aggressiveness (actually, scratch that, it's full on aggressive) it's Manami's fluttering soft manner of demanding respect. He should have just stayed in the States...
But then, if he had done that, he wouldn't have met Elena.
Dang it!!
"No matter what happens..." Johnny begins as the tow girls speak their peace. "No matter what you believe or who you fight... I can't let y'all get killed just like that. It ain't how the Jones rolls."
"Come on, lets go die together or somethin'"
Perhaps his heroic role form the start was not to save the Seijyun girls from Abobo and his gang, or whoever the hell has been pulling the strings from the beginning.
He had to save them from themselves.
Log created on 13:02:24 07/14/2012 by Zaki, and last modified on 11:43:10 07/15/2012.