Description: Marz has plans. But there is one man in Southtown who could threaten them more than most. The Todoh-Ryuu Dojo therefore has an unexpected visitor. But whilst Daniel may wish to solve this problem with violence... Marz refuses to raise to the bait. There may come a time when the matter is taken out of her hands, but for now, she will not let Daniel become her Quon.
Southtown. The Todoh-Ryuu Kobojutsu Dojo. 11 AM.
And looking better than ever.
Standing tall like a Japanese Castle amongst the residences of Southtown, the Todoh-Ryuu Kobojutsu might have seen better days, but those days were so long ago that they are hardly worth remembering. The one-story dojo has now become a three-story padoga, holding itself high. Within, the sound of Todoh-Ryuu Students, actual students, are training loudly. Even the plumbing was overhauled.
But most striking was the lawn.
Kentucky Blue Grass fills the lawn, the beautiful grass turning the field around the dojo into something of true Todoh Pride. Gone was the accursed crabgrass, the refuse that filled the lawn. A great zen garden sits near the padoga, and a great stone tiger stands tall in another corner. A burbling fountain sits in the middle of a large pond... which of course, is clear of pond scum. The Todoh Dojo was absolutely reborn into a dojo worth taking a picture of.
All thanks to the winnings of its greatest student, Daniel Jack.
What ever happened to Marz?
Hardly the biggest name in Shadaloo, her disappearance had not been noticed by many. Keeping to the background as much as possible, it had been the easiest thing to just slip into the ether. Avoiding the limelight comes naturally to Marz. But she's still there. Moving the money, and keeping the monstrous machine crafted by Vega moving. Certainly, he might be gone. But his vision? That lives ever on.
And as always, there is Southtown. The spotlight might have shone on Sunshine City for a time, but Southtown is the heart of fighting, and if Shadaloo is to rise again, it will be in spite of, or because of, the efforts of the men and women who make this place their home.
She is not much to look at, this small purple-haired figure dressed in a nondescript black t-shirt, jeans and with a laptop bag slung across her back. But as she steps onto the grass, and grinds one brightly polished shoe into it, she seems to stand out far beyond her stature. A figure of darkness rent into the idyllic surroundings.
"Daniel Jack." She says, certain that by invoking his name he will appear. "Where oh where have you gotten to..."
Where was the elusive detective?
He was within the very walls of the Dojo, taking care of a team of students. Daniel Jack had returned from a job from Sunshine City. A miserable job, with a fairly happy conclusion. The details were still fuzzy, and Daniel Jack was not too keen to talk about it. But the fact of the matter that he was back in Southtown. He had instructed all callers that he was NOT doing any more detective jobs.
And he was dedicating his time with the Todoh-Ryuu Dojo.
"Palm Strike Hand Chop Uppercut! Good! Master Kasumi would be proud! Counter throw! Strike!" Daniel Jack was belting out the drill of his students, watching over with a stern eye. Commanding the students calmed the storm within Daniel Jack. He felt important when with Todoh-Ryuu Kobojutsu. The lesser art, the weaker rival of Kyokugen, proving its strength through Daniel Jack. "Kasane Ate! Kasane Ate! Kasane Ate!" He shouted. He wasn't even listening to the lone girl outside, and with the kiai shouts of the students, he might as well not even have noticed his name.
But that voice.
A look of stunned shock actually comes over Daniel Jack's face, briefly. Placing a hand on a senior student, he glances down at him. "Keep the drills going. Someone has approached our dojo. An... old friend of mine." Stepping towards the entrance, Daniel Jack emerges not in his gaudy suit, but in the soft robes of a Todoh-Ryuu Gi, the great aikido pants of the art, and bearng the red belt of absolute seniority. Looking down upon the girl from the steps of the dojo, Daniel Jack crosses his arms, and sternly looks down.
And there she was.
"Marz."
"It has been a long time."
"Hello Daniel."
Marz's voice is as coldly dispassionate as ever. Her eyes focus on the Todoh-Ryuu student of the hour. Her stance is open, relaxed. But it always is. The dull red gaze of hers takes in the man himself... and then the pupils behind him. Had there even been other pupils the last time she was here?
"You've done well for yourself. Todoh-Ryuu was a dilapidated mess, and you're actually building it into a target worth considering."
Her footing shifts just the slightest amount. Her other shoe now digging into the carefully manicured lawn. "Do you remember what I said last time we met? I warned you that you should stay out of my way."
Her lips quirk into something that resembles a smile in the most superficial way possible. It completely fails to touch her eyes, and she raises her right hand. A bright, crackling flare of purple energy cascades down her arm to play across her fingers, illuminating her features with the dark power that infuses her.
"I have received a promotion of sorts, Daniel Jack. I've come to ask you if you'd like me to help make Todoh-Ryuu something worthwhile. Or whether you would prefer I burn it down with the rest of this city when the time comes."
The power flickers out, though she doesn't lower her arm. There's just one more word to say.
"Decide."
A Shadaloo Doll.
Daniel Jack stares down at his old foe. Some of the pupils peer out from behind the detective, looking at the strange girl, some of the students being younger than her. When the flash of energy flares up, one of the senoir students slides the padoga door shut. There might be a fight coming. The detective glowers down at the girl. A slight smirk begins to spread across his face. Until finally, he speaks.
"You can't believe how happy I am to hear you say that."
Daniel Jack uncrosses his arms, descending the staircase. Diesel. Vega. Marz. Juri. Cammy. And possibly even.... Juri? The detective was growing surprisingly intimate with the inner workings of Shadaloo. Everything Vega stood for disgusted him, his zealous followers were as pitiful as they were dangerous. Marz though... Marz stood out to Daniel. The young doll that he rescued from an alleyway. Thus, despite the show of power, the presence of a doll... the detective was soft, almost playful as he approaches her. As if he considered Marz an old friend rather than a serious threat. "I'd love to help you out, Marz."
"But let me give you a tour of the grounds first."
Daniel Jack was working hard to keep grimacing, despite his joy that Marz was still.... Marz. "We need to talk details. I ran some things with Diesel and Juri, so I need to sort things out. And if you take your job seriously, you wouldn't commit to anything without seeing the inner workings, right?" Daniel Jack brings out a small smirk at the girl. Daniel Jack had changed a bit. More confident, more in control of his surroundings. And then, the passing question.
"What happened to your Hello Kitty backpack?"
Marz is pleasantly surprised by Daniel's reaction. She is unsurprised that he has run into trouble with the other elements, but both that he mentioned are projects she herself considers markedly unstable. Diesel has shown worrying trends of mental instability and insecurity, whilst Juri... is Juri. If she had the power, she'd snuff out that woman in an instant.
But she doesn't.
"I'm glad you have seen reason, Daniel." Marz replies, letting her hand drop to her side as she does. In her own strange way, Marz has cared for Daniel. He is a useful fool; a buffoon. He isn't difficult to manipulate emotionally... she'd proven that when she found him, on the brink of death, and he'd helped nurse her back to health.
Of course, that sequence of events has no bearing at all on her current state. She has come to speak to Daniel because he is the only man in Southtown who could reliably identify her, and she needed to be certain that her cover would not be exposed at an inopportune moment. That he saved her life is irrelevant.
Completely irrelevent.
She moves with him, accepting his offer of a tour. "Security is lacking." She notes. "It would be easy to infiltrate this dojo from at least seven directions that I have identified thus far."
The question of her backpack doesn't faze her terribly at all. "I have assumed operational control of Japan." She states. Her voice is... frighteningly calm. Completely level with each word spoken. Cold. Precise. "Killer Bee is dead. Lord Vega is dead. It is not fitting for a high ranking operative to allow themselves to wear such inappropriate clothing. Besides."
And here, she does hesitate. Just for a fraction of a second.
"I hate cats."
A useful idiot, but a dangerous fool.
Both aspects reflected Daniel Jack. The detective did a good job playing a guillible hero, and he was awfully trusting for a hardboiled sleuth. On the other hand... the people he worked with and against seemed to appreciate him, and returned the favor in little ways. Marz's robotic, mechanical tone unnerved Daniel, and played into the pity. Daniel knew what he was with was the Will of Vega forced into the shell of a teenage girl. Walking across the grass, he begins to lead her to the pond and Zen Garden. "Security is kinda poor, but this is a fairly public place. If you made this too secure, it might scare away people." The detective suddenly recalls the number of times the Dojo has been attacked. He frowns, reflecting. "But... what would you suggest, Marz?" Of course, Daniel was following her,
"You used to like cats, I bet."
Reaching the pond, he looks out at the fountain. "This is meant to be a Koi pond; and with the Zen Garden, I was hoping for a sort of 'traditionalist vibe.' Except I am an idiot when it comes to Japanese culture, and apparently, dropping a Koi pond next to a Zen Garden is... tacky." Daniel admits. "So operational control of Japan. I won't ask where you are based; I am learning to respect the privacy of international organizations like that. I think the outfit makes you look too American though. Eh, but you probably know the scene better than I do." But as she mentions cats, Daniel snorts.
"What's your new thing, then, other than work."
If Marz follows what Daniel is saying, she doesn't show it at all. Used to like cats? Ridiculous. She's always hated cats. She only endured their presence for the sake of Cammy. Of Killer Bee. The clothing had only ever been a cover.
"You don't need security to be obvious. Just present." The doll continues, gesturing upwards. "I'd establish a perimeter for cameras. As a public place, there's only so much you can do in real terms, but if you had some video feeds and proximity alarms you could ensure that people trying to sneak in are noted."
Now she is staring at a fish pond. She's not exactly sure why, but she feels vaguely uncomfortable. What is it with human beings and their insane need to keep animals safe and secure? What is it supposed to give them in turn? It eludes her. As does the purpose of the zen garden. It just looks like gravel to her.
"It is my duty to ensure that Lord Vega's plan for the future is made reality, Daniel." She says, stepping so that she is in front of him, and can look up into his eyes. It is true that Marz is dominated by Vega's presence within her; that her heart and soul have been irrepairably damaged by his power, but, if Daniel thinks that there's nothing else inside her... he is wrong. There is pain in those eyes.
"We were very close, Daniel. It would have been beautiful." She sighs softly, and her right arm comes up, holding the elbow of the left, and she looks down. It is as though she's trying to mimic how someone should look upset after seeing it on television. The horrible thing is, she does feel pain. Genuinely. But expressing it is hard.
"I know you probably did not approve. The actions of the United Nations ensured that all the bloodshed and pain was for nothing. But if we could have held things together, we would have united humanity. No more division. No more pain. We would have made heaven on earth."
And then suddenly her eyes snap upwards. Her jaw sets. "My work is to vindicate His legacy. It is all there is in me right now."
Sometimes, it was almost like Dolls had real feelings.
Daniel Jack nods along, listening carefully at the idea. A ring of cameras actually would be a good idea. He had the entire electrical system modernized, the wiring in place hadn't been updated since the post-war reconstruction. Of course, Marz's obsession with Vega bothers him. It isn't like that is a surprise. But every time Daniel hears it... he knows what he is hearing is a victim obsessing over her kidnapper as a father figure. But as she cuts in front of him, and shows those eyes... he can feel it. Real pain. Real suffering.
In a body too warped to express it.
The detective sighs. He would hate himself for this. Back in the day, he would have tried to exploit this.Try to sway Marz away from Vega, to break her away, like with Cammy. But now... now he didn't know nothing. Besides, he didn't have a nuclear device on hand. Bending down on one knee, Daniel Jack places a terse hand on Marz's shoulder. And looking back into those eyes... he does the unthinkable.
He tries to comfort Marz with her loss."
"Don't be so down on yourself. If you want to know what I believe, it is that Vega probably isn't dead. You know how he is. It only makes it look like he has died. Remember the Thailand thing? Or that King of Fighters thing? I mean, it is just like... Just like how Cammy...." Daniel Jack grimaces. He had his own theories about the Cammy 'defect,' "... Just like how Cammy isn't really dead, but is part of a bigger scheme that Vega has, probably." The detective sighs, and smiles at Marz.
This felt so incredibly wrong.
"Cheer up. Vega and Cammy always come back. It's all according to a bigger plan. You shouldn't burn yourself up in his memory! Look what happened to Diesel! You need to pace yourself out, otherwise, you might get all crazy." Daniel Jack releases his hand. He was not lying about any of this. If Daniel told this to anyone other than Marz, it would be warning them about the oncoming Shadaloo storm. Plenty of drinking would be involved. "Maybe this was all part of a plan for you to step up, and show Vega how hard of a worker you are... and how well you can manage your personal life without him! And to weed out any traitors in Shadaloo!"
Daniel was working very hard not to be sick.
Glancing up towards the padoga, he nods. "Come on, Marz, you gotta see the students. To, uh, inventory our forces." Daniel Jack was almost giving lip service right now to Marz's mission right now. He didn't plan on getting in Marz's way. Shadaloo and him had a very.... handsoff relationship. And he was content to have a major villain group NOT trying to killing him. The only problem was that Shadaloo seemed to be utterly enraptured with him. While at the same time, insisting that he is SO UNIMPORTANT that he is hardly worth the effort to come out to see him.
Shadaloo was so tsundere.
"You are a fool, Daniel Jack."
The words are spoken after Daniel gets back up to his feet. Marz does not follow him. Her hands have balled up into fists, clenched so tight that the knuckles are pasty white through the skin. She's angry. Unspeakably, indescribably angry. That this man would dare to think he knows the plans of Lord Vega! It aggravates her incredibly. And that he thinks she doesn't know Cammy is alive. He has no respect at all for her abilities!
"Cammy White is alive. Killer Bee is dead. In accordance with my predictions, Killer Bee was unduly effected by her relationship with Quon, and turned traitor to Lord Vega. My sister, is dead. Her corpse can live out the rest of its life outside of Lord Vega's glory. That is punishment itself."
She's trembling slightly as she continues, rooted to the spot as though her feet had been nailed there. She doesn't want to see his pupils. She's not an idiot; he has no intention of turning them over to her. So angry.
"Lord Vega's power is my power. Do not presume to tell me His state or His mind."
She shakes her head slowly, narrowing her eyes at Daniel. "You are a tease, Daniel. I had hoped you would actually assist me in building a new power structure here in Southtown. But you are trying to deceive me and turn me away from what must be done." Her voice cracks, frustration, pain, and growing sorrow. With the example of Cammy so recently in mind, it is difficult to be so judgmental as she had been on that woman. It is easy to see how one could allow emotion to surpass logic.
Hadn't Elle told her the same thing in the Southtown Wars? That it would be a synthesis of logic and emotion which would always win out over one or the other. But how can she find a middle ground here, when what she wants is to bludgeon the glory of Vega into Daniel's mind so that he can SEE!
"Don't you understand? I want to save this world from itself. Why won't you help me?"
And again, Daniel is called a fool.
He felt like a fool, stepping past Marz, trying to lead the way. A small man in a big world, trying to break out on his own, but finding that the bigger he pushes himself to, the crueler the world becomes. The distinction between Cammy White and Killer Bee is made. And she sees through his ruse, his intention of good will. Daniel Jack might have tried to keep it up. But as he stops cold, his back turned to Marz. And his shoulders sag, as he finally states.
"I'm sorry, Marz."
He was sorry. His words are heavy, and faintly pained. He knows what this means. "I can't give away my free will to Vega." He states flattly, turning. "I believe in my vision of freedom. The freedom to fail. The freedom to make mistakes. The freedom of imperfection. The freedom of fools like myself, where I don't give myself over to anybody. Where my vision is my vision, my dreams are my dreams. Where I fully own myself, and give it to nobody other. That is why you know the truth. I can't exist under Vega's vision. I want to be free to choose, not freedom from choosing. And per Vega's vision, that means I am either brought under the yoke... or destroyed."
And steadily, he drops to the defensive stance of Todoh.
"This is how it used to be. You would show up to test me. To fight me. We would fight. You would kick me to the curb. I hated seeing you, but not because of how you would attack me. It is because I remembered that scared, frightened girl, alone and dying in an alleyway. Even then, you were for your Lord Vega. But there was a human side of you then. A glimpse that... you weren't just a doll. That Lord Vega's power wasn't only your power. Since then, I've wanted to help you, Marz."
"But you will never let me help you, because of your devotion to him."
Emotions before reason. She was losing control. The detective just sighs, shaking his head, his guard still up. "You gave me a choice of letting you turn Todoh-Ryuu into something worthwhile, or to burn it down when the time comes. I can't let you destroy my work, my school. So lets forget it all. Forget our feelings. Forget our cares. You came here on a mission. So lets get to the part where you break me, and leave me with a warning of Shadaloo's strength. Just like the old days."
"The days when we understood everything between us."
Marz listens, and she can't deny that Daniel is right. At least, mostly right. Vega's vision of the world is one where all bow before him and all work towards his dreams. Not their own. She's, still very angry, but of all the people in the world, it is perhaps only Daniel who could speak for so long in such a fashion and hold Marz's attention raptly.
"It is easier to think that I am not human when I speak like this, I suppose." She says, slowly. There's no turn towards the offensive, though. No immediate attempt to crush him. She had used him to gauge her strength in the past; she knew his power was roughly equivalent to her own. It was a useful yardstick.
"I used you, Daniel. I was frightened, yes, but..." She shrugs her shoulders. "I am no less human now. I just have, different priorities. To serve Vega is to know ones place in the world. You don't want to help me. You just want to inflict your love of freedom on me." She smiles easily, "Much as I would like to remove the burden from you. Amusing."
Not that she laughs.
"I have considerable latitude in how I execute my mission directives now that I am in charge, Daniel." She continues. "I could crush you again, yes. My power is greater than ever. I have analyzed your style and the style of your Master, as much as it is possible to understand Todoh-Ryuu."
And then she turns her back on him. "Fighting you would achieve nothing. I am disappointed, but ... it is within my remit to decide whether or not to destroy you. You think I have no freedom, but, I will prove that I do, now."
And she begins to walk away, back the way she had come, through the exact same footprints. Perhaps, this small act of surprising free will - acknowledging disobedience and choosing to place her own analysis of the situation above the hard-coded desire to crush any free spirit - would feed the belief Daniel has in her humanity. She is, human. Despite all other appearances.
Or perhaps it will just make the next meeting all the more tragic.
Maybe it would have been better if they fought.
Everyone was using Daniel. He was just the universe's plaything. But as Marz gives that smile and turns away, it was Daniel's turn to have pain without expression. He couldn't muster any words. Just glowering, unyielding eyes. Marz wasn't even a dame. She was a victim in Daniel's mind. A love of freedom? Daniel was imposing his vison on her, just like Vega imposed on her. Marz had a lot of good points, but with one problem.
She didn't end up that way as her choice.
Storming away from Marz, he reenters the dojo.... where the entire class hangs by the door, scrambling away to pretend they weren't spying. The detective's fierce. "Class is dismissed." He states coldly, as he bolts towards the showers. The students nervously scatter, as Daniel collapses into an introverted singularity. He didn't know why he cared so much for Marz. But he knew one thing, as he heads to the locker room.
He would be drowning his sorrows tonight.
Log created on 16:03:18 07/27/2012 by Marz, and last modified on 04:41:33 07/28/2012.