Description: Southtown has been in a period of peace for some time now. With the Syndicate ousted, crime reports are way down. That's the reported crime, of course. There's still illegal activity. But it's more... organized. More civilized, some might like you to say. It's still there, but there's less blood in the streets, fewer bloody examples. Just the occasional... accident. At least, until now. There's some new players in town, and they strike at a downtown protection to show that they mean business, and don't mind blood in the least. Unfortunately for them, there's more dangerous things on the street than rival gangsters, and Hayato Nekketsu isn't going to turn his back on the sound of a girl's scream...
Downtown. Fujita Street. Tetsuya's Trinkets. 9 PM.
The transaction was almost routine now for Mr. Tetsuya. The middle-aged, fat faced man stood outside his shop, as four, casually dressed men stood by. They were armed, of course, but not openly. That was how things became around here. What was once a gang of seven nasty thugs had become five grim-looking thugs, and now, it was merely four calm looking men, dressed in street clothes. Dangerous men, Mr. Tetsuya understood that as he took a glance up at the pair of eyes, peeking through the window from the room above his little shop. But there was no need for intimidation, no more need to frighten his wife, to threaten his daughter.
They had come to an understanding.
Tetsuya would pay the protection money, and he would be protected. Those were the terms brought down, and in a way, it was a comforting, sincere piece of security. Mr. Tetsuya remembered when those troublemakers from Gedo Street came by, loitering around and acting all tough, these men didn't even cause a scene when they shooed them off. Maybe there was fighting. But it happened all out of his sight, out of mind.
Why, they even made it a matter for Mr. Tetsuya to protect his dignity.
These men always made sure that the street was clear when it came to collections; the neighbors all knew they were the victims of racketeering. But it meant so much when they didn't have to be seen when shaken down. The street was completely empty. Or rather, strangely enough, almost empty. Except for that fine looking, black Silver Seraph, coming to a park at the end of the street. And that white van, labeled for Himaruya Landscaping, that was turning down the street. They were definately not locals. But the four gangsters were not panicked, nor they were frightened. Neither was Mr. Tetsuya. They had come to an understanding, into a peace, into a natural order.
And no one on Fujita Street would break that order. the neighborhood would try to .
The gangsters begin to talk with Tetsuya. Small talk. As Mr. Tetsuya puts away his bills, he replies. Just in case, he didn't want his boys, and they really did feel like his boys sometimes, to get in trouble from an outsider. Make the small talk. Let them drive by. And then they can get back to business. Mr. Tetsuya will even apologize. He understands how these men had a timetable. They probably had families of their own to return to. But the van pulls up in front of Tetsuya Trinkets. It was almost dreamlike now, as the van comes to a stop. The driver should have been the first sign of something outside the ordinary. A westerner, dressed in a brown suit, bearing an eyepatch, staring straight ahead as he brings the van in park. The four men begin to reach for under their jackets, as they bring their other arms up, to stand between themselves and Mr. Tetsuya. The back of the van opens.
And the noise begin.
Gunfire breaks out, cracking across Fujita Street. One of the men goes down. Mr. Tetsuya runs to his store. Pouring from the back of the van is five, masked men, face concealed by ski masks, armed with aging Sa vz. 23s, emerge from the rear, as they unload the volley of bullets into the four gangsters. A bullet goes astray. Mr. Tetsuya collapses on the footsteps of his shop. A pair of eyes peer out from the window, little eyes, looking down at the bloodbath that had begun. The brown-suited man emerged from the driver's seat, as the four gangster writhe on the bloody sidewalk. He clutches a metallic attache case, handcuffed to his right hand. The other five gangsters return to the back of the van, and reemerge with sledgehammers, axes, and railroad spikes. Mr. Tetsuya gasps for air as he clutches his chest, his eyes rolling around in his head. There was a natural order. And from the room above, the room where his wife and daughter are huddled in.
The natural order breaks with a little girl's scream.
A few streets over, Hayato Nekketsu is enjoying his evening. He likes his job, and doesn't mind hanging out after hours to help out students, but now he just wants to get home and relax. But first, he's swung by a liquor store to restock on some things. He's carrying the bag slung over one shoulder, humming to himself as he walks. And then the sound of gunfire breaks out. At the first shot Hayato frowns... but gun violence is pretty uncommon around here. And crime in general has been down quite a bit lately. Perhaps it's just somebody setting off fireworks?
But then the sound keeps up, and Hayato does have some experience with guns, even if he doesn't have much use for them himself. He turns around in the direction of the sound, his frown growing deeper. He starts to take a step forward- and then there's the sound of a girl screaming.
Hayato is already several long strides down the round by the time his dropped bag hits the sidewalk with the sound of shattering glass. He sprints past a number of people looking around in confusion, vaults over a parked car and then goes barreling through an alley, sending a trash can rattling to the ground. The teacher bursts out of the alley onto Fujita street, skidding to a stop with the edge of his track jacket fluttering out behind him. The lack of cover doesn't bother him, he's more focused on taking in the situation.
Men with weapons. Wearing ski masks, next to a shot up storefront and men in pools of blood on the ground. Definitely not cops, and almost certainly lacking in a justifiable excuse for what they're doing. Not that Hayato is going to wait to hear it. He can't see a little girl anywhere, but he doesn't have time to go looking. An angry growl starts in his throat, and he charges down the street at the men with guns, heedless of his own safety. He's not a cop, and he's got no obligation to order them to drop their weapons before he unloads on them.
COMBATSYS: Hayato has started a fight here.
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Hayato 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Gangbangers has joined the fight here.
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Hayato 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Gangbangers
Two axes, two hammers, and one fistful of railroad spikes.
Those were the tools the five men emerge with, as the gangster lay writhing on the ground. Mr. Brown knew these men from the dossier. This was a quiet part of a criminal neighborhood. They ran a racket, under the blessing of a mysterious gangleader. Everything in Southtown was done with his blessing of this man. Mr. Brown's mission was simple. To act as the ultimate in atheism, in a way.
To destroy any value his blessings may have.
Another scream breaks out, not from a little girl this time, but from a man. An axe is raised, a hand sits on the ground, freed from his owner. The masked thug drops the axe again, and another scream comes. Mr. Brown had a job to destroy any faith there was in this gang. Any sense of protection. He had to create fear. Those were his orders. The one-eyed man casts a glance to the wounded storekeep at the foot of his own shop. He was an innocent, probably someone who paid for their protection. He would need to be made into an example, just like the others. The axe comes down a third time.
There is no scream.
Mr. Brown draws a hand into his suit. His ears suddenly catch something. As his men continue to work on the silent victim, he turns a moment, eye focused. He sees Hayato. He knows what Hayato is, not from knowledge, but from intuition. He can see it in his eyes. A vigilante. Vigilantes were on the dossier, they were close to Gedo Street. If he ran into children, do not use excessive force. Inciting Gedo Street was dangerous. Inciting a gang leader named Daigo was dangerous. But this was a full grown man. Still a vigilante. Mr. Brown draws a package of cigarettes from his suit, as he finally speaks.
"Attention."
Comes the sharp command from the man in the Brown Suit in a gruff, French accent. The man prepares a cigarette, as he steps back, the five thugs rising from their bloodbath. The vigilante was close now. Three thugs approach the rampaging, wild-eyed Hayato head on, one armed with an axe, two with a sledgehammer apiece. The last two thugs keep back, one dropping his railroad spikes by a gangster, the other raising his axe in a defensive stance. The first one to reach Hayato is a hammerer, as he gives a wide, slow swing towards overhead slam towards Hayato's head. The other two, circling around, give their own narrow strikes. One giving a underhand upward slash of the axe, the last providing a short, chopping side swing of the hammer. Three men, three strikes.
And all into one, very angry vigilante.
COMBATSYS: Hayato counters Aggressive Strike from Gangbangers with Counter Thrust.
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Hayato 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Gangbangers
Hayato doesn't even slow down as the armed men start taking notice of him. If anything he's running faster after seeing the axe-work. And he looks really, really pissed off. He doesn't know that most of the men on the ground are criminals, but that wouldn't really matter. Maybe if he knew that, and they'd just been beaten up a bit, he could shrug it off. Something like that, well, he might take the time to see if this is vigilante work, which might require a more diplomatic approach, even if the aggressors do still need some jail time. But like this? No. No, Hayato intends to see them in jail, but he's not going to ask them to surrender. He rather hopes they don't, actually.
The one with the hammer isn't given a chance to follow through with his overhand swing. Hayato cocks back his arm, slamming a fist into the thug's face without slowing down, while the hammer is still coming up. It's enough force to blow the man off his feet, but Hayato doesn't really have time to see how much of an impact there might have been aside from that.
An axe comes swinging up toward Hayato, but he leans back away from the blow while snapping out a kick at the wielder's knee. He uses the impact to push himself off and spin into the third attacker, getting in too close for him to properly swing an unwielding weapon like a sledgehammer. He doesn't just stand there, of course, instead opting to drive a knee up toward the man's stomach.
Mr. Brown drops the cigarette from his mouth.
Mr. Brown was experienced in the ways of organized crime. Not the most experienced. But experienced. Experience in crime meant different things for different people. For some, it meant the scale of your crimes, and your ability to execute them with pure force. For others, it was a matter of wit, how clever you were executing your crimes, and how clever you were with covering your tracks. For some, it was . Mr. Brown was not strong, he was not clever, and he was not lucky. What he had was his intuition, his insight. Experience told him that there were certain kinds of vigilantes. Some were well-intended fools that were over their heads. Some were plains-clothing cops that dive in before backup arrives. The first was nothing. The second meant trouble. But this was that third category.
The well-intended fool that wasn't over his head.
As the first hammer-weilding thug takes the punch to the face, the hammer sails from his hands, smashing into a nearby garbage can. Hitting the ground, he is visibly stunned, rolling around as blood flows from his broken nose. The second man is more lucky, as he is able to stand, though the kick sends the axe to throw sparks into the asphalt. The third man, however, takes the knee hard. A gagging noise is heard, as the man spits up. Three men go in.
And all three are writhing in pain.
Hammerman One still can't get up, while Hammerman Two is still keeled over on his knees. Axeman One, however, recovers, and Axeman Two and Fisty decide to move in. Axeman One comes in with a low cut, trying to hit the axe for Hayato's legs, while the other two thugs come rushing up. The second axeman holds off, surprisingly, while the unarmed thug attempts to tackle Hayato, to grab him and bring him to the ground. If successful, then the second Axeman may finally attempt a slashing overhead swipe... but hold off on the attack otherwise.
But what about Mr. Brown?
The report of a pistol comes, the man wielding a fine-looking semi-automatic. Pointing the gun at the men on the ground. He fires his second shot. He was killing the previously wounded gangsters. A look of intense focus was over his face. He was running triage in his head. He didn't know the facts about how long his gang bangers would last against Hayato. But his intuition told him that it wasn't long. And if they didn't last long...
Then his intuition told him that he would be next.
COMBATSYS: Gangbangers successfully hits Hayato with Combo Grapple.
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Hayato 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Gangbangers
Hayato manages to twist enough to avoid having an axe get stuck in his leg, or take it right off, but there's a definite spray of blood as the axes slices into the side of his leg. He hisses in pain briefly, and starts to lunge for the first axeman, but then someone tackles him from behind. Since he's already moving forward, his balance is off enough to allow him to get take down to the street. It doesn't look like it's going to hold him for long... but the second axeman doesn't look like he needs long.
Despite a man on top of him, Hayato manages to jerk himself enough to one side that the axe slams into the sidewalk and bounces back up, slicing a thin line across his check rather than taking a huge chunk out of his head or neck. He doesn't intend to let the man try again, though. He shoves away the unarmed thug, rearing back and then driving his foot at the axe-wielder's leg while pushing his whole body with his arms. Blazing orange chi flares up around his foot as he does so, intensifying to white around the point of potential impact.
Hayato's a little preoccupied at the moment, but it probably won't be too long before he notices what Mr. Brown is up to. In which case Mr. Brown may find himself moving up the priority list.
COMBATSYS: Hayato successfully hits Gangbangers with Devastation Kick.
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Hayato 0/-------/-----==|=======\===----\1 Gangbangers
The hiss draws him out of his stupor.
Mr. Tetsuya comes out of pain and blackness and into only pain. He didn't understand what was going on. Why did this happen? There was an understanding. There was a hiss of pain though. And shouting. Was it his wife? What about his daughter? Were they safe? Rolling to his side, everything was pain. Breathing was pain. But looking out, he could hear the gunshots. Was one for him. No. He could see the brown-suited man killing his people. What was the meaning of this? Why was this violence?
Was there another gang?
He hears a yelp of pain, and casts his gaze. One of the axe-weilding thugs standing by the downed Hayato was neither axe-weilding anymore, not was he standing. If the first kick cracked his knee, this second, more powerful one caved it in. Leg looking more dog like than human, the thug collapses on the ground, roaring in pain. The unarmed man, once on top of Hayato, was trying to stand back up. Mr. Tetsuya, through his own bullet wound, could see the other thugs. One had an axe still, but now three were on the ground. One with a bloody face, one still dry heaving, and the most recent victim.
But who was this man fighting them?
Another nice gangster, a friend of his collectors? The unarmed man attempts to grab the vigilante, trying to hold him in place, so the standing axe man could get blow after blow into Hayato, to rip into him with pure unrestrained violence. Dirty tactics, yes. But then again, there were only two standing at the moment. Tetsuya could see the stranger glaring at another, outside the two standing thugs. Following the stranger's gaze, he comes to the man with the pistol again, who turns to take the burning spirit head on.
And he doesn't flinch.
The goes to the back of the van, moving swiftly as he shuts it. Running back to the driver's seat, the brown-suited man reenters the vehicle, and begins to try and start it up. Mr. Tetsuya shakes his head. He shows up with a gang of violent men, attack him and his collectors, and when danger shows up, he tries to runs away, leaving his men behind. This was the wrong kind of gang. This was not the gangster he wanted.
Why would he change the natural order?
COMBATSYS: Hayato blocks Gangbangers' Jailbreak.
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Hayato 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Gangbangers
Hayato gets grabbed. This isn't something that would be much of a problem under normal circumstances, but right now there's a man swinging an axe at him. He's able to partially throw off the grappler, enough to get his arms free, but not to be able to move freely. He brings up his arms, deflecting a few blows of the axe as best he can. He's able to catch the blow on the handle several times, but his arms still wind up getting some nasty cuts on them. Finally he spots an opening. He shoves back against the man behind him, reaching back with both arms to snare him.
The teacher then quickly shift his feet, leaning forward with a grunt as he tries to haul the man right up and over his head, then send him crashing into his axe-wielding partner.
COMBATSYS: Hayato successfully hits Gangbangers with Strong Throw.
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Hayato 0/-------/---====|=======\=------\1 Gangbangers
He had to get out of here.
Mr. Brown was running out of time. Whoever the vigilante was, he was brutal. He was violent. And he was taking hits that would have felled normal men. The chi was a warning, this was the kind of burning energy he only saw with his boss. The car's engine rumbles to life. He begins to lock the doors, looking out at the two standing men. Bloody face wasn't getting up. Broken knee wasn't getting up. And as his one of the remaining men attempt to hold the vigilante in place, the other hurls blow after blow uselessly at the stranger. Mr. Brown places the case on the other seat, and places a hand on the gearstick..
And then, a crash.
The hood of the van caves in as two men smash into the front. The vigilante had thrown the man off, and thrown him hard into the other thug. Both thugs apparently went flying, smashing brutally into the front of the van. The engine sputtered. Mr. Brown focused harder, teeth gritted, sweat forming on his brow. He had no more men left. Hayato would soon be on him. And he might be able to put up a fight. He might be able to make a stand. But he wouldn't get away. He had no other ways to delay the inevitable.
Except for one.
A click is heard over the street as a bullet is put in the chamber. Dry heaves were over. The one who got the knee in the gut was rising back up. There was no sledgehammer now. Only a Sa vz. 23, a small, dated submachinegun, the very same used to tear down the gangsters. The last of the standing gangsters folds out the brace on the butt, and aims it at Hayato. "<Eat lead, fucker!>" Comes the gangster's cry in Japanese as he pulls the trigger, unleashing a hail of bullets towards Hayato. Mr. Brown clenches a fist, before shifting gears, pulling out and turning around. He had to get out, that was certain. But he was going to get hit for the fact the guy kept the gun. They were hired for the hit. They weren't supposed to keep the tools.
After all, they were Syndicate property.
COMBATSYS: Hayato dodges Gangbangers' Holdout EX.
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Hayato 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Gangbangers
Hayato may be a pretty good fighter, but he's not actually at the level of being able to dodge bullets. Of course, the real trick is knowing that you don't need to dodge bullets if you can dodge the shooter. When the gun comes up, Hayato suddenly moves to one side, moving fast enough that you'll miss him if you blink. He keeps slightly changing the trajectory of his approach, but all the while coming in toward the shooter. And then he lunges in low, making a narrow profile of his body as he tries to hit the man with the full weight of his body and bring him crashing to the ground.
COMBATSYS: Hayato successfully hits Gangbangers with Medium Throw.
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Hayato 0/-------/--=====|====---\-------\0 Gangbangers
Wheels Squeal.
The white van tears away, bolting down the street. Mr. Brown focuses on the side-view mirrors. He sees the gunfire. He sees the bullets. A stray bullet shatters the window, he focuses on the road. He isn't out yet. He hears a scream of anguish, and turning his eyes to the other side-view mirror, he sees the broken form of the last of the hitmen hurled to the ground. But it is the distance now. Wheels squeal. Brown hits the turn hard. The van makes the turn.
And he made it.
Fujita Street is bloody, and what was once silence became noise, and what was noise, was now moans of pain. In front of Tetsuya Trinkets were four dead gangsters, five wounded hitmen, and Mr. Tetsuya himself. The four gangsters would be identified, and blood will be paid in blood. The five wounded gangsters, beaten into unconsciousness, are no threat now, and it is up to Hayato on how to deal with them.
But what about Mr. Tetsuya, still bleeding at his doorsteps.
COMBATSYS: Gangbangers takes no action.
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Hayato 0/-------/--=====|
COMBATSYS: Gangbangers can no longer fight.
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Hayato 0/-------/--=====|
Hayato gets back to his feet, ready to give the last gangster a thorough kicking if he shows signs of getting back up. Since that's not the case, though, the teacher pauses to take stock of the situation. Someone probably already has, but... "Someone call the police! And an ambulance!" Hayato has plenty of experience both at projecting his voice and using a tone that impels people to listen. He's got experience with other things, too, and that's why he's already shrugged out of his jacket and pulling off his shirt as he approaches Mr. Tetsuya.
The teacher is no paramedic, but he knows basic first aid and has a little trauma training. He might at least be able to help keep the man from bleeding out. "Hold still and just hang on. An ambulance will be here soon." He kneels down, wadding up his shirt with the intention of using it to try to staunch the bleeding, at least a bit. Yeah, Mr. Brown is getting away, but Hayato's not just going to leave a man to bleed to death.
COMBATSYS: Hayato has ended the fight here.
Very slowly, after Hayato's cries for help, the lights of the other houses turn on. Doors open, people emerge. But everyone was frightened. The natural order of things was not to help. The natural order was to stay within your house. The natural order was never to call the police. The collectors would take care of it. The gangsters would take care of it. But now... the gangsters weren't taking care of it.
The natural order was changing.
Mr. Tetsuya gasps for air, as his neighbors come out. If it weren't for the bloodloss, his face would be bright red. It was, in a way, in his own mind, his fault the natural order was broken. He was afraid for himself. He was afraid for his neighborhood. He was afraid for his family. But as Hayato treated him, he smiles politely at his hero. And he speaks with soft, sincere tones. "Thank you, stranger. You saved my life." He says. In the distance, a police siren is heard, coming closer. Maybe it wasn't the gangsters that broke the natural order. Maybe, in a way, it was Hayato himself that broke the order.
And Mr. Tetsuya owed him his life for it.
***********
The black Silver Seraph's headlights come on, and quietly, the car begins to pull away from the chaos, from the sirens. Within the back, behind black-tinted windows, a dark skinned man sits alone in the darkness, illuminated only by the ember of his cigar. Puffing silently, the red-suited man blows out a cloud of smoke, before placing the cigar between his index and middle fingers. With his other hand, he pulls out a cell phone, flipping it open with his thumb. Pushing one button, he brings it to his ear. Growling in a deep baritone, the man speaks slowly.
"Mr. Brown."
"Congratulations on the hit, but I am disappointed at leaving survivors. No, Mr. Brown, I don't mean his men. I mean our men. When they get arrested, there is no guarantee that they won't identify you. And even if the police don't care, those men's comrades will." Duke takes a moment to take a long draw off his cigar, and blows out the smoke, as the low-fi response comes over the tinny speakers of the phone. "No, Mr. Brown. I think it is in my best interest if you stay in the neighborhood. Get to know the locals. You are free to use whatever men you need to escort you. I don't want to see you in hiding, Mr. Brown." There is a pause on the other line, before a single, short response. The man's pearly white teeth flare, as he gives a sneering grin.
"Goodbye, Mr. Brown."
The man shuts the phone, and tucks it away into his suit jacket. Replacing the cigar in his mouth, the chauffeur pipes up from the front. "Where to now, Mr. Burkoff?" The dark-skinned man pauses, before speaking in a low, calm voice. "I think I would like to go to the Reddomiru. And hurry, Jeeves.
"I do not want to miss the last act."
Log created on 19:08:42 04/23/2013 by Hayato, and last modified on 20:07:47 04/24/2013.