Description: Urien and Lee cement the foundation of their relationship with a tour of the heart of G-Project's facilities. And a little testing of biological weapons...
There's been no particular rush after the first meeting between Lee Chao Lan and the ubiquitous Urien. But in time, the promised tour of a G-Project facility is arranged. The location given is within Greece, although Lee will be instructed to arrive in a rather small city on the fringes of the more civilized territories. Great wilderness, mountainous ranges, and untamed lands stretch out before it. Even knowing that Urien might have a complex here is mostly useless. A needle in a haystack, despite the supposedly narrowed down stretch of land.
A simple black car has pulled up to the private airport, little more than a single runway with minimal facilities in a sea of vegetation. There are no roads that connect this land to the rest of the world. Supposedly this facility is used only for tourism, dropping the rich and privaleged into one of the most beautiful environments in the world. But two black-suited men with mirrored shades are standing outside, well built and obviously fighters of respectable caliber. And with obviously perfected physiques, to boot. Natural training, or genetic tampering?
The man on the left is holding a white sign that says 'Lee' on it, as if there can be any doubt who would be landing in a plane at this airport. Etiquette, after all.
But where was the Silver-Haired Devil?
"Of course! Do not worry! It will all be taken care of~" The silver-haired man speaks heartily into his phone, as he steps out from the luggage area, and into the . In tow was a porter with a trolly, pulling along a stack of three bags on top of a large steamer trunk. Only the bare necessities on a business trip, of course. The plane trip was long, but Lee was used to long trips. He wouldn't be a businessman if he couldn't handle traveling!
And he wouldn't be a Mishima if he couldn't endure a little suffering.
His eyes catch the sign, making him feign a jump, before continue on his conversation. "Oh, sorry father, I must go! I have business to deal with! We can talk about it later!" Putting away the phone within his white suit jacket, he approaches the two men with strides, holding out a hand to greet the one without the sign warmly as the porters struggle with his luggage. "Ah! I am sorry to keep you waiting! Please! Lead the way! I cannot wait to see what Urien has to show me."
Lee Chaolan gives one of them a mischievious wink.
Lee's hand is taken in a tight grip. Strong. Quite strong, really. Lee would put him at about... four? Maybe five. Yes, five of this suited figure would be able to defeat him in a fight. But it would be quite close. Compared to the diamond from charcoal that Urien sported, they are in a whole different dimension. Which means that a pair of them is probably not intended for anything illicit... there's little doubt that Urien is cunning, after all.
"No electronics will be allowed at the facility." states the one not holding the sign. He sounds apologetic, but it doesn't show on his features in the slightest. "I apologize for this inconvenience. You can leave them with me." A metal tray is taken out of the trunk, similar to what a metal detector might sport, and then held out to Lee. "Please." Whether anything is offered or not, the pan is put within a magnetic safe, sealed and energized. There's not a chance in Heidern's beard of any electronic signals getting in or out at that point.
The one with the sign has still not moved a muscle. His partner, however, pulls out an ominous looking black rod attached to a briefcase-sized battery. His intention seems to be to wave it around Lee in a menacing fashion while it hums ominously. Whether he succeeds in this is another matter entirely. "Leave your luggage at the airport. This will only take a couple hours in total. Mr. Urien is preparing a few demonstrations for you at the facility. One of them is... problematic, and thus why he is unfortunately unable to meet you in person just yet."
Suspicions
Oh, Lee has his concerns. But as he takes that grip, he does not show any of them. A smile remains, as his mind carefully calculates. If this was a sign of the technology that Urien held, then it was of interest to Lee. If this was a sign of simply excellent recruitment of minions.... then it was of interest of Lee. For woe, for weal, it is not clear what Lee thinks.
But he certainly has interest.
As he is told about the electronics, he mocks surprise. "Oh! Well if I insist that I keep my privacy, then I shall respect his same wishes of his own!" Drawing out the phone, he punches in a few buttons. A simple layer of security; of course. Not that it was a truly secure phone; but if anyone truly wanted what was within, they would get nothing more than the Silver-Haired Devil's associates, contacts... and little black book.
As well as Angry Bears, of course.
"No problem at all!" He responds, handing over the phone eagerly. "As for my luggage, I am certain the airport won't mind keeping it in holding! As for Urien, tell him that he can take all the time he needs to prepare his demonstrations; I am certain you two can keep me occupied, showing me the gorgeous landscape and history of this beautiful place!" Lee brings his hands forward, to herd the two onwards, as he quizzes them with interest.
"Are you locals?"
"We are under the employ of Mr. Urien." states the man without the sign. The back door is opened, and Lee would be gestured inside, joined after a few moments by the blond-haired man who's done all the talking. Actually, the one with the sign doesn't get in. Ever. The car starts, the unseen driver kicking it into gear and thrumming off towards a dirt road leading into the forest. Maybe the second figure is going to take care of his luggage or something? Who knows.
There's a phone, mini-bar, and small television in the back seat. After a few moments, the windows blacken, preventing Lee from seeing outside. This is probably a ploy to prevent Lee from figuring out how far they are driving, or in what direction. But there's one thing that Urien might not have prepared for.
Having a low-level minion in a car with Lee for a few hours.
He doesn't really have any useful information to give, and just tries to give bland answers, but a man can only endure so much. A harried rap on the separator causes the car to pull over, before the blonde man slips out and slams the door shut after. A glimpse of a river, blue sky, three mountain peaks. And then the car continues on, for another sixty minutes or so. Winding, rumbling, jerking.
At least there's a selection of very cheesy romantic comedies for the television's built-in DVD player. And the wine is... oh, shoot. Very cheap. The phone's dead, too. Well, maybe this isn't the rich part of Greece.
Hopefully, it will all work out for the best!
As his luggage is left in the airport, Lee Chao Lan seems overjoyed at the company. He doesn't stop talking with the guard, asking him about his family, how he learned about Urien, what his hobbies where, and if he also worked out with Urien. But the mellow presence dies down when the car stops. "Oh, we are here already? How dandy! Anyway-" But the blond-haired man leaves the back seat.
And with it, a huff.
And now, Lee was alone. Staring out the window, it is only a few minutes before the boredom comes... and the outrage. "How -awful-! I hope this isn't how Urien treats all his guests. The wine is practically vinegar! And the phone? Dead! And what's worse, is the selection of movies! I mean, Romancing the Stone? Maid in Manhatten? Dirty Dancing? Who hasn't seen these a million times before?" Lee was getting bored and irate by these standards. What was normally a cheery, upbeat man was becoming.... mean.
Dog mean.
Luckily, it's not too long before the final destination is reached. Enough to watch 2/3rds of a movie, if Lee eventually runs out of things to do. The road is suddenly silky smooth, and going downwards at a sharp slant. Five minutes later, the car comes to a stop. A massive gate is heard opening. The car moves forward slightly. Then the gate closes again. Doors open, and after a few footsteps, the backseat is unlocked, and the blonde agent is present once more. "We are here, Mr. Chao Lan." Concrete is visible in all directions, well-lit with recessed lights. Three massive metal doors are at each compass direction, and the closed gate behind the car even Lee might not be able to punch through without countless hours devoted to the task. It seems his only companion remains the terrible escort that abandoned him in the jungle...
"Marisa! Why can't you just tell Chris the tr-"
As the car comes to a stop, Lee pauses the DVD. The rest of Maid in Manhattan would wait. The back seat is unlocked, and a frowning Lee is already rushing out of the back. "It is about time! I can't believe you left me back there! Hmph! Where is Urien? I wish to get this tour at once!"
Lee did not find this Excellent.
Inspecting the massive gate, the executive could not help but think of Jurassic Park. Was this his secret project? Bringing Dinosaurs to life? Lee glances around shiftly. No. Of course not. That would be ridiculous, bringing dinosaurs to life, and teaching them how to box. Looking towards the gate, he looks towards his escort with distain... and blinks. Lee Chao Lan pauses for a moment, as he adjusts his white suit.
"Hold on, were we driving through a jungle?"
"I..." Suddenly the blonde-haired man looks a tad bit worried, adjusting his tie and rolling his shoulders. Sweat runs down his forehead. The scent of prey now; and not of the sort vulnerable to physical attack. He was already helpless in the face of the adopted Mishima's martial prowess, after all. "I did not mean to... make the trip unpleasant. There's, there's no need to say anything to Lord Urien... Come this way?" Trying to hurry that topic along, the blonde strides towards the large metal door opposite the parked car. All of them have small red lights above, and there seems to be far too many armored cameras built into the very walls of the facility, humming and clicking as they track and focus on everything going on within.
Oh, now he feels sorry?
Lee crosses his arms, looking at the man with the utmost seriousness. He could sense fear. And the truth of the matter? He did not care about this man, if he took the time to make Lee miserable. "If you didn't intend to make the trip unpleasant, then I hope you didn't intend to make it pleasant! I have gotten better service at a Waffle House! A homeless man spitting in my face would be a greater deal of respect than what you have given me! If you don't want your boss to hear about how horridly you mistreated me, you have until I reach him to improve my mood..."
"And you better improve your attitude before then!"
Lee follows after the blond-haired man, his temper cool now, but his face still grim. His eyes scan the perimeter, focusing for brief moments on the camera. He was wary, but not afraid. These weren't robots. They were men. He could maybe take 5 or 4 before they went down. But if Lee was in trouble?
He probably wouldn't even need to fight these men.
"I-I will do whatever it takes, Mr. Lee. If, if you are a prudent man, I promise to ensure your return trip is every bit fruitful...!" He's trying to remain composed for the cameras, not interrupting his stride towards the door, but it's clear his hand is shaking lightly as he holds up a card to the red light. A visible laser flashes out and scans it, before a light 'Beep!' and the door whisks open. Within is a broad hallway, but the ceiling is only about ten feet above. Metal reinforcements arch up to the row of softly humming white lights. Sealed doors house simple descriptors. 'TEST A. TEST B. TEST C. At 'TEST D' he stops, pausing as his card is lifted to the crimson orb over the door. "Th,think about what I said." Then the laser hums, and another 'Beep!'.
Within are about a dozen scientists in white lab coats. Two long metal tables stretch about the length of a cafeteria, cutting edge electronics and genome equipment settled along it. They are buzzing along in a hurry. All of them have a mildly frightened look to them, as if whatever is at hand is life or death.
At the very end is a massive glass wall. Past is a metal room, perfectly square, with a man in plain white standing at attention. Resolved, but not particularly concerned. A table is beside him, with a couple inhaler-like devices.
And Urien himself stands opposite, wearing a fine black suit with silver accents. He's looking over a clipboard, thumbing through the papers and discussing with a wild-haired scientist that seems more composed than the others. Lee would be lead through the buzzing hive of scientists to Urien, falling to a reverant kneel.
"Lord Urien, I have brought him." After a few moments, the massive greek turns to Lee, and grins wildly. "So I see. Welcome!" A gesture at the facility. It's definitely cutting edge. The quality of it is no less than what Lee himself has access to now, all of it super cutting edge with some technologies even being unreleased to the general public, or appearing completely unique. Particularly the genetic components... they are bland, having no logo of any maker. Custom built?
"Was your trip satisfactory...?" Urien continues, glancing sidelong to the kneeling blonde, who appears to be holding his breath.
Oh, he promises better treatment -now-
This blond-haired man had all the signs of a bad employee. Gives bad service, but once he gets caught, only then there is the promise of an improvement of service. Oh, he was thinking about what he said. But he has heard that excuse a million times. And you know by who?
Soon-to-be-Ex Employees.
As he actually brought within the facilities, the elegant executive inspects the scientists, the layout. Professional, but a bit simplistic. It could be expected with the location, of course. Isolation made logistics a pain that pure money could not solve. Most interesting was the lack of corporate logos. All in house? That might prove compatibility issues down the road. As Urien arrives, the smile returns, and Lee steps forward, to give his partner a handshake.
But was there mercy?
"Terrible!" Is Lee's immediate response. He ran a business, not a charity, and since coming in here, there was just mewling and fawning... but no serious attempts at making up for his lack of treatment. "He was rude while transporting me, left me screwtop Polish wine in the back, and didn't even ask me for my preference of movies! I was practically forced to watch a bad Jennifer Lopez romantic comedy!"
"Which isn't to say is a bad romantic comedy, but it is bad by Jennifer Lopez standards!"
Lee sweeps his hands one over another, making it clear just how offended he was. "I was so offended, I nearly asked him to turn it around, and call the whole contract off. I expect a minimum standard of treatment, as one of the world's top executives." The Silver-Haired Devil cast a gaze towards the blond-haired henchman. There isn't malice. There isn't glee. Just disappointment.
"And he did not meet it."
Oh, boy. Urien doesn't look pleased at all. The clipboard is carefully passed to the bushy-haired scientist, who is now wearing an almost comical expression of horror on his face at what Lee is stating. The kneeling figure is frozen in place, saying nothing, head bowed and facing the floor.
"Charles, Charles, Charles." Urien states, clucking his tongue slowly. "I saved you from your debts, and gave you the power you wanted. And look. You still do not follow orders properly. You've insulted me and my hospitality in front of my dear friend." The door to TEST D opens, and a couple better armored men slither inside. The scientists have gotten out of the way and stopped milling now.
"Take him to room A." Urien states after a moment. And Charles breaks.
"PLEASE... L,Lord Urien!! Please! I... No!!" He struggles a bit, but not enough to break free from the weaker guards as he's dragged out. That would just force Urien to intervene, and make things all the worse. But the door whisks shut in the aftermath, leaving him to some unknown fate.
As if that never took place, Urien gestures to the great glass wall. "I do apologize for that. But I have three wonderous things to show you that my organization has been working on. I hope they will show you fully the potential our alliance might have. The first is something I call 'BOOSTER'. Observe."
Within the metal room with the long figure standing at attention, a hatch slides up. An armored man, dressed in the same security getup as the pair which dragged Charles away, strides up to the waiting figure. Pulling out a baton, he then strikes the man full force in the stomach. Unsurprisingly, the baton wins, and the hapless man collapses to his knees and folds over, coughing and wheezing in pain, the wind knocked out of him. The security individual then steps aside.
"Get up. And take the BOOSTER." Urien states after pressing an intercom button adjacent to the glass wall.
And Lee does not even show a glimmer of mercy.
The Silver-Haired Devil was a nice man. But he was not a good man; and if you managed to exploit his friendly nature, he had a vengeance worthy of a Mishima. Charles is pulled way, earning a brief look from Lee, sharing that same disappointment, before focusing back on Urien. He did not know exactly what was coming next. But if being an experiment was punishment... well, he deserved it.
Whatever it was.
As Charles get recovers within the testing chamber, Lee tucks away a mental note on how Urien treats his employees. Of course, Lee would have the same level of seriousness. But the evidence was beginning to build up just what degree Urien owned this place. It was beginning to feel like it's own country, or at least, outside the law of Greece. Lee would keep it to himself. Focusing on the man, he watched the demonstration... and is a bit underwhelmed by the show. "A BOOSTER? Is that an acronym for something, or..."
Lee waits a moment, letting the true demonstration begin.
The man past the glass wall pushes up to his feet slowly. He doesn't seem to be much of a fighter, from the looks of it. The security personel within still has his baton held at the ready. At length the test subject picks up one of the inhalers, places it in his mouth, and breathes in deeply while pressing the release button.
Almost immediately there's a physical reaction. Muscles bulge, eyes widen, veins superimpose. There's a muffled roar from within, as he seems crazed. "Hit him again." Urien states. This time the baton thunks uselessly on the hyped-up test subject's stomach, showing no reaction. It was certainly the same force used; what floored him only moments prior now seems harmless.
And then the test subject slugs the security officer in the face, shattering the glass facial guard of his helmet. A brutal kick sends him flying into the glass wall, bouncing off and shuddering it loudly. He staggers around for about ten seconds, froths in the mouth, and slowly collapses face-down.
"As you can see, the physical benefits are extreme. But it causes a rapid deterioration of mental processes, followed by a catatonic state. Don't worry, it's not fatal. The intent is to create a powerful short-term boosting device for combative situations, tailored to fighters." Pressing a button, the glass wall turns opaque, blocking the interior. "This is the most distant prototype I possess at the moment. Next is something with... applicable benefits. Shall I show you?"
"Ah, so that's why it was called a BOOSTER."
Lee watches with professional interest as he sees the transformation, the 'hulking out' so to speak. As the man flies into a berserker rage, he watches the onslaught unflinchingly. For most of the scientists, this was just a routine experiment. For a normal person, it was terrifying? But for Lee, it was nothing impressive. He doesn't even give a full reaction to the show.
Just a teasing smirk.
Lee waves a hand towards Urien, a hint of playful dismissal. "I can see why it is in prototype stage right now. It looks like more of an offensive weapon than a personal combat booster! Of course, it is very similar to something being worked on in G Corporation, I believe..." But Lee does not add anything else to that. Instead, he claps his hands, and smiles broadly.
"Yes of course! On to the next show!"
A mild grunt from Urien. No matter. He would never open up his show with the best. Merely a glimpse of potential, if distant at the moment. The ability to turn a mundane person into a powerful fighter is not a tool to be underestimated, after all! Leading the way directly now, Urien would take Lee back into the main hall, striding along it. Apparently the last chamber is TEST G; a large door leads to an elevator, hissing down to another level. After activating the card reader for an unmarked room, the sealed door hisses open, showing roughly a dozen glass coffin-sized tubes filled with a light blue gel-like substance. Each is attached via many complex wires and connectors to massive machines. A light mist flows about a foot off the floor. Six of the tubes have very naked men in them, apparently unconscious with small respirators attached.
"These systems I am sure you would be interested in. They progressively adjust the genetic structure of the incumbants towards a certain ideal." Approaching one of the tubes, a hand sweeps away the condensation. All of them look to be perfect physical specimens. Is this the secret to that? "The scope of the changes here are dependant on the desired result. Medicinal uses exist, but creating a perfect physique has been the goal. That can take hundreds of treatments over a few decades. But the end result is an unbreakable body, with incredible strength, stamina, and endurance." That does give a few clues. This has been operating for a very long time, for one thing. "The restrictions are twofold. One, it requires significant manpower for each treatment to improve a specimen, and a large amount of money. Two, it takes about two weeks per treatment. But these are long-term fruits, of course. And nothing compared to our last, most recent innovation on genetic mapping...!"
Oh, Lee wasn't underestimating.
He was, how to put it, allowing himself to be difficult in being sold. He had to make it seem that everything Urien showed was good, but not impressive at first. It was a game, a calculus. A business. As he continues on, he listens to Urien, nodding along... and the smile fades. The nodding fades. Lee looks at the specimens in the test tubes. Very similar technology, but very different uses.
Lee Chaolan's silence speaks volumes.
The silver-haired executive places a hand on the glasses, peering into the room. "What about mental facilities? I mean, the facilities are a bit crude; and those holding tanks -look- like they were designed decades ago. Still, to be working on it for so long? These are impressive leaps of development, almost like those projects of NE-"
Lee pauses a moment, a realization suddenly dawning on him.
A change of subject. For the moment. But a change of subject. "... A matter we can discuss later, I apologize!" Lee's jovial emotions return, as he clasps his hands again. "I am beginning to suspect with the miserable trip up here, you were trying to lower my expectations on purpose! But come! What is the cherry on this ice cream of delights?"
Lee Chaolan winks at Urien.
"...Heh. You know about them?" Urien states, with a dark look on his face. "Don't make the mistake of believing scale is everything. The reason these appear old is that they are still operating at only 67% efficiency. A team of six scientists with modern training still cannot maximize them." Of course, a more likely truth is that Urien is not showing off the modern versions. He knows how to play this game, also. Underselling things. Trying to entice Lee with the chaff, and avoid revealing any truly powerful secrets. This time, the gambit is likely more alluring, if only at the potential. Was Urien the product of a lifetime of genetic testing? By who? That would imply he is not the leader of this facility, or that he came upon it at some point in time. "This next one shall be hand's on. Prepare yourself to work up a sweat."
Leaving the room, the elevator is returned to once more. It goes down another level, before hissing open. A broad hallway, which has large, cell-like doors. One says 'N', but appears to be crossed out. Three. Five. Crossed out. Seven. Not crossed out. Nine. Ten. Eleven. All crossed out. Twelve. This one is underlined. And then... Thirteen. The door appears to be more secure, as Urien not only utilizes a keycard, but also a palm print reader and retinal scan. An inner door is heard opening, unseen, before the outer door unseals.
Stepping within, the room appears dome-like. An arching ceiling is about fifty feet overhead. The floor is metal, and the room round. A total of twelve shutter-like circles are upon the ground, and a large circle is in the very middle of the room. Other than that, however, it is empty.
Urien strides forward with confidence, finally looking eager to show something. "I know of your JACK-4 units. I hear one of them is more effective than a tank against low tier fighters. But do not think the Zaibatsu and G Corporation holds a patent on such concepts." Standing before one of the shutters, Urien presses a small controller he pulls from his pocket. A tube descends from the ceiling, locking with the shutter. Before it opens, and... /something/ rises up from beneath, safely sealed within.
A humanoid creature with white skin, lean and naked but with no sexual features whatsoever. It gives the impression of male, but there's no real way to tell. There's some muscle definition, eyes small black beads, head oddly spade-shaped. But what is unsettling is it's form appears... uncertain. Warbling like there is a liquid beneath the skin, lengthening and contracting. It bares needle-like teeth at the pair, striking the tube with surprising force.
"I call it 'Thirteen'. A mass-produced version of a very successful prototype. What do you think?"
This was growing more and more troubling.
The vats reflected a sinister secondary agenda. One that was not fully disclosed. Of course, Lee Chaolan knew about NESTS. Heihachi knew a great deal about the world; and Lee always picked up a few pieces here and there. He knew that NESTS had lofty intentions with their genetic experiments....
But morally dubious results.
Lee Chao Lan walks along, that smile on his face, bringing his arms behind his back. Behind that smile, the dawning understanding that the motives of this organization... may not quite be innocent. Lee was still willing to work with them, of course. But as they mention the JACKs, Lee's smile dims briefly. Glancing towards the numbers idly, the apprehension is buried away in his heart. "Well, if we don't have the patent, we can certainly afford to buy-"
And then, the thing.
Lee's words cut short, seeing the creature, the.... abomination? The silver-haired executive moves in closer, approaching. He inspects it, bringing a hand to his chin. Everything about it... meant something so much deeper than it had any right to be. As it strikes the glass, Lee actually recoils briefly. But his expression does not shift from one of careful examination "Fascinating, yes.... but what are it's capabilities?" Lee knows he is begging the question, especially with the suggestion of the work out earlier. But he asks away; as if it is the part he must play.
"What does it do?"
"Do not worry, my dear friend. These are not formally human. They are vat-grown. However, they do not last long. Perhaps two weeks. But still, they are the premier in bioweapons..." Urien presses another button on the remote. Suddenly eleven more tubes descend from the ceiling, locking into each of the remaining holes in the large room. After a few moments, there's a good dozen of the white creatures shrieking and flailing within the tubes, all looking to be thoroughly aggressive. Urien himself has settled in the very center of the room, where a final tube descends; locking him behind armored glass. "Please, witness yourself. Individually, they are not much to a fighter like you... but..." Another button is pressed, and then each tube whisks up, one by one. The creatures inside are suddenly free to the room. They seem wary at first, hissing at Lee Chao Lan but not actively moving to attack. That is, until Urien speaks loudly. "Alpha Gregori Delta." Each tenses immediately, and with a roar scatter. Some leap up to cling to the ceilings, others the wall, but in short order the Silver Demon is utterly surrounded. Twelve thirteens, eh? That's confusing. But if they are as strong as ole neglectful Charles individually, he might be in a spot of trouble...
COMBATSYS: Thirteen Swarm A has started a fight here on the left meter side.
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Thirteen Swarm A 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Thirteen Swarm B has joined the fight here on the left meter side.
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Thirteen Swarm A 0/-------/-------|
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Thirteen Swarm B 0/-------/-------|
Only two-weeks incubation?
That was a superior trait, especially compared to G-Corporation. If Urien had sought to impress him with the chaff, he was being successful. There were still some things that G-Corp could do better, that much was at least clear; G-Corp was unrivaled in cybernetics from the demonstration. But if this could open up new dimensions in genetics to augment...
They could surpass NESTS.
Such dreams, however, are brought into the lap of reality. As a button is pressed, Lee prepares himself for the tube to open up. But instead, 11 more descend down. The martial artists steps back , looking at the tubes warily. He could read them, sense them. As the tubes rise up, the Silver-Haired Devil's guard snaps up.
And the gibbering creatures surround him.
Holding his stance steady, he inspects each of the creatures cautiously, taking his steps to rotate around, his arms up. The smirk returns. "They are.... animalistic, Urien. You should know that our Jack-4s hold some semblance of humanity, an imitation of it, even in their technique."
"Are you growing fighters, Mr. Brown, or mindless beasts?"
A growl from one of them gets an instinctive focus by Lee, the fighter focusing all of his guard against the lone Thirteen. Lee Chao Lan tilts his head quizzically, stepping a foot back. "If you do not mind, I would like to put them to the test! See if they truly rival the strength of G-Corporation's work. Not just how they fight. But how they -think-" A twinkle flits in his eye, as he holds out a hand to his chosen abomination, and beckons it with a finger.
"Come on~"
COMBATSYS: Lee has joined the fight here.
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Thirteen Swarm A 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 LeeChaolan
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Thirteen Swarm B 0/-------/-------|
"Just call me Urien. Brown is not my true last name." is offered, informally. Because such a correction is incredibly important in the present situation. "But these are not machines. They are living beings. Just how human do you want them to be? It takes 4 months to grow one, and they survive 2 weeks before expiring. What perks could be offered from them being aware of their own mortality? What sort of ethical concerns would it raise? I do have one with a permanent lifespan... perhaps you can meet it at some point, if you care to."
Of course, more important at the moment is likely the fact they all want to kill Lee. Several of them leap in tandem, hands melting away and forming rigid blades that are then whipped forward. Another half-dozen remain at a distance, similarly forming their arms into whip-like blades and striking out in a repeated barrage.
Individually, they are respectable. Charles is probably the equivalent to two or possibly three. However, they seem a good deal faster than the former escort. And the blows, although individually not dangerous, offer an imposing chance through sheer attrition. One blade cutting him would be a papercut. But a dozen? That might be meaningful damage to Lee in short order.
"They know 'attack', and they know 'stop'. The fighting style they use is bred to the genetics. They are no more conscious then an attack dog... but far, far more effective!!"
COMBATSYS: Thirteen Swarm A successfully hit LeeChaolan with Power Strike.
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Thirteen Swarm A 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 LeeChaolan
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Thirteen Swarm B 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: LeeChaolan dodges Thirteen Swarm B's Tandem Stretching Strikes.
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Thirteen Swarm A 0/-------/-------|======-\-------\0 LeeChaolan
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Thirteen Swarm B 0/-------/-------|
Certainly more effective.
The thought hangs in Lee's head as he listens to Urien. In silence, however: The martial artist's focus was truly on the gaggle of genetic chimeras that were howling and hissing into him. But oh, he was listening. Lee blocks the first of the whipping limbs, parrying the blade swiftly as he steps aside and back, shifting his attention to the three hurling into him. As further blades come, he continues to keep up the fierce footwork, blocking and weaving, to keeping moving back. Lee continues to recircle, throwing out testing kicks, trying to tame the creatures with the lash of his leg. Nimbly evading the delicate whipping, the flawless evades earns itself a blemish as one of the frontline abominations manages to slip in by the silver-hair devil's flank.
"Mm."
A slash of the blade into Lee's side, earning a grunt from the executive. The suit is torn, revealing a streak of blood. The blood oozes through as Lee forces back. The blood does not stain the suit, however; the red dribble rolling off the suit, off the white pants, and coming to a puddle on the metal floor. The streak swiftly is concealed not by healing, but by the suit itself. The white suit does not get stained, and it reweaves itself, concealing the tear as well as the injury.
Truly a marvel of G Corporation.
Despite the injury, Lee doesn't stop moving. He keeps moving back, keeps circling. As he forces further and further back, it begins to grow clear what exactly the martial artist was doing. What was once an encirclement by 12, was now an encirclement by 6; Lee had forced the front lines of the aggressive creatures into following his footwork, using the few odd kicks to corral and control. As the last of the six is finally following him... the footwork shifts. Lee explodes forward, exploding not simply into a single of the Thirteens, but through the crowd, attempting to barrel through the mess. Ripping forth with a flying kick, the martial artist shouts, breaking his somewhat muted silence with a heartstopping howl.
"KIAIIIII!"
COMBATSYS: Urien has left the fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
ThirteenSwarmA 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 ThirteenSwarmB
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
LeeChaolan 0/-------/--=====|
COMBATSYS: LeeChaolan successfully hits ThirteenSwarmA with Silver Slash.
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ThirteenSwarmA 0/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 LeeChaolan
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
ThirteenSwarmB 0/-------/-------|
There's no real shame in Lee being unable to keep up a reasonable conversation with Urien during the testing. These are not meant to be punching bags; they are legitimately dangerous, which was likely realized after the first attack. However, the creatures are simplistic and easily manipulated with such tactics, when it comes to predicting intent. When they are lined up just right, Lee unleashes a brutal attack. Two of them are destroyed outright; the blow cleaving one at the shoulder and the majority of the chest, as another is hit in the upper body, head vaporizing. There is no evidence of proper blood, merely a disgusting, thick black liquid. They collapse limply, and begin to dissolve with a hissing noise and aroma that defies description.
But the rest of the pack does not falter. Four of them screech and leap forward, forming mantid-like blames as they slash in a brutal series of attacks on Lee. The other six circle around from behind, and suddenly disgorge a ridiculous number of slender, whip-like pseudopods. All of them are brought to bear on Lee's back, trying to impact him while he's busy defending himself from the front. In terms of a proper pack mentality, that is certainly not a wasted motion... it might be quite difficult for Lee to evade both ends pristinely!
COMBATSYS: LeeChaolan dodges ThirteenSwarmA's Amorphous Onslaught.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////// ]
ThirteenSwarmA 0/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 LeeChaolan
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
ThirteenSwarmB 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: LeeChaolan blocks ThirteenSwarmB's Whipping Pseudopods.
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ThirteenSwarmA 0/-------/=======|=======\=------\1 LeeChaolan
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
ThirteenSwarmB 0/-------/-------|
Lee would have some words for Urien in a minute.
They were fighting like a wolfpack. That made things difficult, but at least predictable. Predictable was Lee's friend. The abominations were a howling bedlam, even as he tears them down. They were... more frail than an average fighter. That was of some great interest to the martial artist. Of course, a normal fighter wouldn't fight to the death. Perhaps that was the truth of the 'disposable' skill: A disposable fighter could be pushed into greater extremes. As the hissing black ichor comes splashing out, it splatters on the white suit... before rolling off harmlessly.
And the suit continues to perform admirably.
Evading both ends was well outside the skill of the martial artist, as exceptional as it was. Perhaps his wretched father could be capable of it. But Lee? He could only mitigate. As the hentacles come grope for the Silver-Haired Devil firm well toned ass, he can't simply dodge. But he was not ready to endure. Pivoting around, he draws up a leg and both forearms, catching the incoming attacks with a blur of blocks and parries. Stepping into the fray of six, he forces himself into the frenzy... and away from the incoming four. Pushing through the hoard, he bursts on the far side. Ten Thirteens.
And all on the same side.
On the far side, shakes his arms, already reversing himself as he circles the mass. Kick after kick are hurled into the mass of genetic experiments; almost all of them feints. He was trying to control them, to keep them close together, and most importantly, keep them from getting tempted to surround him. As he keeps those controlling kicks, he finally steps in from the sides, turning up the kicks. A nearly infinite stream of kicks are unleashed, kick after kick after kick, a lightning-flash blur of strikes. This time, however, he was not simply trying to control. He was singling out a single genetic experiment.
And wiping it clean out.
COMBATSYS: ThirteenSwarmA blocks LeeChaolan's Acid Storm.
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ThirteenSwarmA 1/------=/=======|=======\==-----\1 LeeChaolan
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
ThirteenSwarmB 0/-------/-------|
The monstrocities perform more admirably under attack this time around. They are apparently adverse to bunching up too much, a few kicked at leaping to the ceiling or walls, clinging with some manner of suction born from the fel experiments that birthed them. It's like trying to herd cats, which merely causes them to displace into the surroundings even further rather than go where one might desire. But when the ungodly kick is leveraged towards a single one, he brings up his forearms and seems to slacken. The strikes hit home, but at the conclusion he's only sent skidding away. Arms are ruined all the same, but it's still alive. And what does the crippled creature do? Lunge forward and try to bite Lee, undeterred. They apparently have no sensation of pain.
The other three, located in a rough triangle around Lee -- including one directly above -- form both forearms into brutal spikes with many barbs upon them. And then begin to attack in rapid succession, a surprising force that would dent the metal beneath from any glancing or partial hits...!
And the remaining six, still unscathed, rush forward at the apex. Only to hurl themselves at Lee, and try to literally cling to him like thick, heavy putty. They are surprisingly weighty creatures, and the intent is to force Lee to the ground, crushing him with those naked white bodies and try to suffocate the life out of him. While he's still being stabbed.
"Hmmhmm. You aren't doing bad, Mr. Chao Lan." is all Urien states, smugly protected by an armored tube.
COMBATSYS: LeeChaolan parries ThirteenSwarmA's Stretching Strike Hurricane!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
ThirteenSwarmA 0/-------/------=|=======\====---\1 LeeChaolan
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
ThirteenSwarmB 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: LeeChaolan blocks ThirteenSwarmB's Amalgamate Engulf.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
ThirteenSwarmA 0/-------/------=|=======\====---\1 LeeChaolan
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
ThirteenSwarmB 0/-------/-----==|
"Easy for you to say!"
Urien manages to muster words from his guest, the martial artist's attentions shifting away. Keeping them all in place was an exhausting prospect. It -was- pretty odd how Lee Chao Lan was mentally sorting the full force of Thirteens into two seperate groups, especially since they all looked alike! Of course, as they recoil, the lack of pain earns a glimmer from the martial artist's eye. For some fighters, pain was merely something that got in the way of talent. Lee beckons the creature instinctively, luring it to come towards him with a snapping finger.
But pain had its perks.
Lee continues to hurl his pressure on the exact same creature, never letting up. He had no reason to break the creature's morale. He was fighting animals, not men. But the sound, the distraction served a purpose; they were fighting with instincts. An instinctive fighter could be manipulated, sometimes more easily than a brilliant fighter. He had to draw responses from the creature, beyond simple pain. They could hear, that much was clear. He had to give them external stimuli. Advancing towards the oncoming wounded creature, he meets the bite with a nimble standing roll, sidestepping the attack and pushing the creature, positioning himself in close quarters.
And there, he would proceed to give it stimuli.
As the three remaining unleash their spikes, however, Lee exploits it. Keeping close on the single, wounded creature, Lee unleashes a short kick, followed by an attempt to grab. They could not feel pain. But as the spikes come, he pivots, and attempts to shove the same creature into the path of his own assaults. Every spike is nimbly evaded... and met with a rattling backhand or a swift kick, all while his victim is constantly pressured, constantly kept within Lee's loop. As the others lunge on to Lee... the martial artist simply keeps moving. A white puddy mass was now beginning to latch upon him, slowing him down more and more. Evading the spikes was growing harder, controlling his victim steadly becoming more impossible as the mass consumes him....
And then, Lee bursts up.
The silver-haired devil surges with silver light, a rare flood of chi from the fighter. Hurling a kick upwards, the martial artist had tried to knock up one of the creatures into the air with him, one of the puddy masses. Whether he was successful or not would determine the follow-up: Should he send one of his victims into the air, he would finish by hooking the white blob with his leg, and splattering the Thirteen straight into one of the creatures on the ceiling.
All with a smile, of course.
COMBATSYS: ThirteenSwarmA dodges LeeChaolan's Mercury Drive EX.
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ThirteenSwarmA 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 LeeChaolan
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
ThirteenSwarmB 0/-------/-----==|
The Thirteens should not be considered as two distinctive groups. More like a giant blob of fighters, that just happens to use two different attacks at a time. Or something to that effect. Semantics aside, Lee manages to survive the brutal attack of the creatures quite well. Although his early advantage is at risk of eroding... even as the gnashing terror is shoved, retaining it's balanced. With a sickening series of pops and cracks, the shattered arms manage to shapeshift into a partially functional state, hooked barbs on the end that are far from harmless. Yet here, it appears Lee underestimated the creatures a bit.
The brutal kick manages to make the wounded creature duck, and it's grasped by the head. But the mistake was considering that this meant he had any control over the Thirteen, or just what it might be capable of doing. It simply lunges backwards, neck stretching impossibly. And then, like trying to grasp a piece of oversized snot, the grappled mass slips free with an audible *plorp*.
And the moment that silver light flashes, they are gone.
Every one of the Thirteens lunged away, and the strike hits nothing but air. They are clinging to Urien's tube, above the door, and on the opposite end of the room. Sharp instincts, indeed. If they had waited for the strike to actually manifest, it would have been impossible. But they all come forward once more, a great tidal wave of hissing creatures...!!
Four of them go high, shifting their mass into their legs and brutally swinging out kicks, while the rest simply go for flying tackles, trying to slam into Lee and take him down with sheer area of effect and weight, to drag him into the writhing, naked mass.
While Urien watches.
COMBATSYS: LeeChaolan parries ThirteenSwarmA's Medium Strike!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
ThirteenSwarmA 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 LeeChaolan
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
ThirteenSwarmB 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: LeeChaolan dodges ThirteenSwarmB's Medium Throw.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
ThirteenSwarmA 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 LeeChaolan
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
ThirteenSwarmB 0/-------/-----==|
Divide and conquer.
All in all, not a fair exchange. As Lee's cracks through, they are gone. Landing down on one knee, Lee tugs on his still stain-free suit. Passing a glance around, he realizes that it was back to square one. Looking down the barrel of 10 Thirteens, and with hardly the time or the patience to waste with them. But Lee does not look frustrated by the exchange. Rather, amused. As the screaming hoard comes slithering in, Lee leans back, holding out a hand, beckoning the creatures once again. He clicks his fingers, giving them sound, giving them motion. And finally, he speaks to them, taunting them.
"Come on~"
As the frenzy of lashes comes, Lee doesn't even flinch. He simply performs. Urien is free to watch as Lee steps towards the onslaught of abominations, stepping into the tsunami of creatures with a smirk. A causal, calm, but in control hand comes up to push aside a surging kick, as he turns to evade two others. He brings his leg around, pulling it away as brings the momentum to the air. Leaping over the surging swarm of tackles, he was reacting to the assault with perfect skill. It was safer for Lee when they all came at once, rather than come in piecemeal. He could react to them all at once. But one by one? One could always sneak in a bite, just like before. But he wouldn't let them have that chance as he begins to fall back on the surging swarm, back on a single straggler.
To drive a killing heel into the head of one of the creatures.
COMBATSYS: LeeChaolan successfully hits ThirteenSwarmA with Hitman EX.
- Excellent Hit! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
ThirteenSwarmA 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 LeeChaolan
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
ThirteenSwarmB 0/-------/-----==|
"A battle like this is truly a marathon, Mr. Chao Lan." offers Urien from within his tube. Somewhere during the chaos in the last minute he found a bottle of fine wine, and pours it into a snifter to sip lightly. "Many fighters of your tier never prepare for an extended attrition conflict like this. At first glance, each second you survive and defeat one makes you better off. But is that truly the case...?" Not many people would still be so able after going against so many of these creatures, though. Combined with his personal battle, Urien is gaining valuable data on Lee's true capabilities... as a hundred cameras, the majority hidden, take in his every move. Intensive biometrics monitor every last flicker of his cells. This room is the most potent diagnostic location in all of G-Project...!!
And then that explosive leg finds one of the Thirteens. It loses a head in the exchange, staggering forward and flailing bladed limbs before slowly collapsing to the ground and beginning to melt. The remainder fan out, forming a circle once more, wariness reaffirmed by the ruthless execution.
Then the attacks begin once more. Bladed limbs, leaping kicks, snapping teeth. Lee only has to deal with two or three at a time, but they never stop coming now. There is no longer any time to stop, rest, breathe. He is pulled into a whirlwind of battle, always having a potentially damaging attack thrusting towards him from a vulnerable location.
The gulf in skill is clear by now individually, but the true danger here is that Lee's performance must be flawless. When a dozen hits might happen every two seconds, it doesn't take more then a wayward blink, mis-step, or overextension into a strike...!!
COMBATSYS: LeeChaolan dodges ThirteenSwarmA's Medium Strike.
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ThirteenSwarmA 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 LeeChaolan
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
ThirteenSwarmB 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: LeeChaolan parries ThirteenSwarmB's Power Strike!
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ThirteenSwarmA 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 LeeChaolan
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
ThirteenSwarmB 0/-------/-----==|
A marathon?
As Lee executes the kick unto one of the twelves, he stomps down his stance hard. He refound his center, he was already ready to move. But Urien was casually conversing, and now, with fewer of the abominations, Lee was beginning to loosen up a bit. Sure, Urien was analyzing his every move. But Lee was analyzing every technique of the Twelves. And mentally, he was considering ways to improve them. Like the snarling thing.
Why couldn't they be cuter?
"Please, Urien, you flatter me! I assume my trials with these are nothing compared to yours!" The silver-haired devil jests as the attacks return. Effortlessly, he side steps the first wave, bobbing and weaving flawlessly. There is no wayward blinks, no missteps, no overextensions. Every assault that comes close is simply batted aside and redirected into another. Through the whirlwind, Lee stood out as a blur, a blur that was in control of this cyclone. But the storm tightens more and more, as Lee pushes out towards the edge of the frenzy, trying to make his opportunity
And shifts the momentum back.
With the hoard on one side, and Lee on the other, the martial artists had the pack in one place. Another frenzy of kicks are unleashed, a lightning fast rampage this time. He was not focusing down on a single creature, not this time. This time, he was bringing his full bear on the whole of the pack. Every threat, every rise, every attempt at an attack was met with a lightning-fast kick, to drive them back. They had a survival instinct, a very minor one. As Lee attempting to rip through the pack, he finishes the stacking advancement of kicks.... with a single, executing roundhouse on any lone stragglers that might see fit to approach.
It was time to clean up.
COMBATSYS: LeeChaolan successfully hits ThirteenSwarmA with Acid Storm EX.
[ \\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
ThirteenSwarmA 1/-======/=======|=======\=------\1 LeeChaolan
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
ThirteenSwarmB 0/-------/-----==|
"Heh... this many gives me a workout, yes..." Urien admits. Indeed, Lee is doing better than expected. He's no less ferocious against countless opponents. Is this the fabled Mishima-style, combined with Lee's independent efforts? Powerful!! And the only thing he respects in this world is strength. Putting the engine that is the Silver Demon under a long-term pressure test is still not showing any particular chinks in the armour. Simple, mindless assaults are only making things easier for Lee, who's only been truly hit once...!!
The furious exchange is over after long, brutal moments. Two more of the creatures lay dead on the ground, another three being struck in the arm or leg, with significant damage their bodies try to accomodate. Six. Lee Chao Lan is now down to six of them. And likely only on the verge of breaking a sweat.
And then they come in earnest.
Tentacle-like limbs attempt to grasp and throw, brutal axe-like manifestations swing in savage chops, barbed spears thrust again and again, whipping tendrils are thrown out. "Beta. Delta. Blitz." Urien states, before a number of them fall back, crouching down and staring intently with a few low hisses. A new tactical approach, now that they lack the numbers to prevail with brute power? Or is it too little, too late?
COMBATSYS: ThirteenSwarmA can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
ThirteenSwarmB 0/-------/-----==|=======\=------\1 LeeChaolan
COMBATSYS: ThirteenSwarmB focuses on its next action.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
ThirteenSwarmB 0/-------/-----==|=======\=------\1 LeeChaolan
COMBATSYS: ThirteenSwarmA successfully hits LeeChaolan with Coordinated Excessive Force.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
ThirteenSwarmB 0/-------/-----==|=======\=------\1 LeeChaolan
He wasn't quite Mishima caliber.
While his talents were exceptional, and the influence was unmistakable, he was far from the strongest of the Mishima family. That was less a testament to Lee's strength, and more a testament to the strength of the martial arts family. As the silver blur tears down two of the creatures, and grazes three more, he finally breaks through to the other side of the hoard.
But the counter attack comes.
Finally, Lee gets overextended, and makes a misstep. As he pivots around, the tentacles comes, the axes come, the spears come. Attempting to hurl up his guard, they come at the right time. There is no pure dodge, no pure evade. The man looks wide-eyed as he stumbles back, actually knocked down to the ground with fresh cuts and hacks on his body. It was a perfect chance for the rest to unleash a killing assault while he was down...
But the creature halt.
"Oh, come now Urien." Lee states with just of disappointment as he stands back up. The suit was torn, but already pulling itself together. The fresh blood, however, reveals an especially nasty goring in his torso by one of the spears. Lee, however, seems to try and ignore it, and playfully teases Urien. "Are you stopping it now? I was just getting warmed up." Lee begins to looks towards the waiting hoard... and draws in a deep breath. Silver energy wreathes around his body, rolling across his body. Focusing hard, his suit begins to close up the exposed wounds.... And it was almost as if Lee was building towards a second wind. Looking towards the creatures, his guard goes down, and he stretches back a bit. Extending a hand forward, he beckons the creatures to come.
"Shall we?"
COMBATSYS: LeeChaolan gathers his will.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
ThirteenSwarmB 0/-------/-----==|=======\=====--\1 LeeChaolan
"We're still only halfway done. Trust me. I'm not going to stop until one side is victorious...!! This is the baptism of G-Project, my friend. I went through these grand battles dozens of times. It improves your martial prowess, and improves the creations, as well. The data of another fighter capable of fighting back is more valuable then you know..." Oho? So the exchange of information is already begun!
The remaining six suddenly shift into masterful flanking positions. No longer are they a great white ball that is easy to attack. One leaps up to the ceiling, another side-jumping to a wall, presenting unique vantage points to the veteran juxtaposed in the middle. And then they leap forward. Two at a time, coming in for a titanic strike before leaping back. One aiming for his back while the other comes from the front; again and again, brief but precise clashes. They are night and day like they were before... is this the higher end of the fighting style that was programmed? It certainly might be a good deal more troublesome to deal with!
COMBATSYS: LeeChaolan just-defends ThirteenSwarmB's Crushing Strike!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////// ]
ThirteenSwarmB 0/-------/------=|=======\=====--\1 LeeChaolan
"Oh, you are gathering data?"
Lee asks the question with a hint of innocence. As the six Thirteens begin to scatter across the training area, Lee continues to stay put, looking at Urien with a smirk... and then a wink. "If I knew you were doing this for research, I'd have taken it more seriously!" He continues as the first duo comes. He doesn't even flinch as he catches the pair as casual as catching a football tossed by his father. Except, of course, it wasn't really a football. And he wasn't really playing catch. And if he failed to catch it would be another surprise dodge lesson.
Hah hah! Child Abuse!
With an easy reversal of momentum, he just as easily sends them on their way. The brevity of the clash was invigorating the martial artist, the precision only making it easier for him to react. It seems with the change of the strategy, Lee handles the new tactics even more effortlessly. Was Lee holding back the entire time before? Was this new coordinated assault simply less effective against the Mishima school of martial arts? Or was the loss of numbers really that significant to the martial artist. The second assault is met with the same synchronized catch on both sides, Lee only noticing the pair in his peripheral vision.
The same, however, does not come with the third wave.
Lee only catches one of the attackers this time, evading his counterpart cleaning. But Lee will be far more stubborn in releasing this one. "How is it that you keep them stable, without any bones? A skeletal structure does have its merits, Urien!" Lee calls out as he attempts to pin down the creature with a slam. Should the wriggly beast fail to slip free from Lee's grasps, the silver-haired demon will simply wrench it down feebly... and drop a foot hard on it's face.
And stomp it into goo.
COMBATSYS: ThirteenSwarmB blocks LeeChaolan's Lee Harassment.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////// ]
ThirteenSwarmB 0/-------/----===|=======\=======\1 LeeChaolan
"..." Urien somewhat lazily scratches at his chin, continuing to observe. It's true. He's not pressured Lee with the swarm at all. And even in his own brawl with the man, he appeared to be casual to the very end. A quantity that's impossible to gauge... when a man has grown up every day of his life being measured, graded, and assessed, it is a thoroughly bewildering state of being. Could the pair possibly be any more opposite?
"They use a series of pressure-filled bladders in the place of bones. When the muscles constrict upon it, it's roughly equivalent to a human bone in terms of stabilizing the Thirteen. And allows for a complete malleability that you have seen..." He's still able to converse so easily, hrrm?
The Thirteen in question manages to throw up it's arms and catch the foot, although it still crashes down and impacts it in the face all the same. There's a great SLAM of metal. Was it made of human bone, it would be dead; instead it slithers off, staggering away and reeling from the damage.
The other five rush forward once more. A full circle, striking from the points of a pentagram. The spine, the back of the legs, and a brutal thrust of a spear-like point towards one of his eyes. The onslaught has not yet been curbed!!
COMBATSYS: LeeChaolan just-defends ThirteenSwarmB's Amorphous Onslaught!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
ThirteenSwarmB 0/-------/----===|=======\=======\1 LeeChaolan
Opposites, but so similar.
Where would Lee be if he was under the same pressures? Not pressures within, as Lee had crafted, but pressures outside. What if he had Gill as a brother? Would he have been like Urien, resentful and conquering? What if Urien had to deal with Heihachi, or even Kazuya? How much was their own inner personality, the shark and the unicorn, and how much was upbringing. That was of no concern for Lee, who had the Thirteen wiggle away. No matter. Lee had a onslaught incoming, that had not been curbed.
So Lee just curbs the onslaught.
"It certainly toughens them up, but don't you find it making them a tad unreliable?" The martial artist questions openly, as he continues to catch the assaults flawlessly. A seized jelly spear is grabbed, and twisted to parry another coming to his spine. Each one to the back of the legs simply at stepped down upon, stopping them swiftly, leaving one last attack. The final one, coming straight for his eye is caught by his -palm-, held perfectly still with the honed talent of a lifetime of intense martial training. The skin does not break. The skin does not yield. The arm slowly retracts, meeting the force with flawless momentum, flawless timing.
And it is the Thirteen that is ultimately forced to yield.
"They have no proper center! It is all hurled heft, like tossing a water balloon!" A silvery aura begins to build across his body, the energy built before beginning to roll out. "You confuse flexibility with adaptability! Sometimes the most adaptable technique is the least flexible! After all.... if all you have is a hammer.... everything becomes as a nail!" Lee looks down on the creature that had come for his eye. He smirks a bit. Smoothly, he brings he palm forward to the creature's forehead. Should it touch, should it make contact, Lee suddenly take the momentum that was built up, all the momentum that the onslaught had poured into him into a single, one-inch palm strike directly into the whole of this creature's being. And with it, a shout.
"~=!!KIAI!!=~"
COMBATSYS: LeeChaolan successfully hits ThirteenSwarmB with Death Touch.
- Excellent Hit! -
-+- CALCULATED HIT -+-
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
ThirteenSwarmB 1/---====/=======|===----\-------\0 LeeChaolan
"Yes. They are quite unreliable and inconsistent." Urien readily agrees, continuing to watch while monitoring an LCD screen that appeared on his tube. He seems to be sorting through the data. "All Thirteens are not created equal. There can be up to a 38% difference between those in the same batch. It is one thing I am trying to improve upon." Arms drum upon Urien's bicep, considering things carefully. The reckless force they use is not ineffective against Urien, but he does not have the flowing style of Lee. Are they truly this weak against that kind of fighter...?
The strike is cataclysmic. The Twelve hit explodes, spattering the entire room in goo. That leaves only five, and one is badly wounded. Hesitating a few moments, they shriek and rush forward again, now with the frenzy of cornered beasts. One leaps for Lee's back, trying to bite his throat. Another goes for his midsection. Slashes, strikes, and impales rain down on him from the other three. They are going to go down fighting to the last!!
COMBATSYS: ThirteenSwarmB successfully hits LeeChaolan with Coordinated Excessive Force.
-* WILD HIT! *-
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////// ]
ThirteenSwarmB 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 LeeChaolan
Unreliable.
Lee obliterates the poor creature. There isn't even recoil. Lee simply destroys it with a touch. As the others hesitates, Lee thinks he finally got through to these creatures. That was the fatal mistake. A brief flicker of arrogance. Lee should have learned, as one suddenly lands on his back. Lee catches it by the jaws with both hands, stopping it from biting his neck, while the others... take the opening. As Lee hurls off the one at his neck into the one going for his midsection... he suddenly gets slashed. He suddenly gets impaled. He suddenly, very swiftly, is torn into again by three blows. Staggering back, his body bleeds freely as he continues to get torn into... before dropping down a foot. A block finally comes. A second block finally comes as he stands tall against the onslaught, a resurgence overcoming him. But on his face wasn't a smile of confidence. It was a glare, a sneer, a face twisted in rage.
"How *DARE* you disgusting creatures!"
Lee's calm exterior cracks. The suddenly loss of momentum surges back a lifetime of small mistakes in fighting, a flashback to small mistakes being clutched in the hands of a ruthless and unforgiving Heihachi. Every misstep you made had to be made an example of in front of your brother. Not out of sympathy, not out of empathy. To be shown what happens when you are weak. And what happens when someone exploits your weakness.
You respond with anger.
The sensors could read it as Lee suddenly moves forward. The Mist Step. The core of the Mishima technique. Advancing forward with unnatural agility, Lee dives forward, face contorted with anger. He picked his target. A kick is hurled out, a violent kick, one very familiar to Urien from this distance. A swinging roundhouse straight for the torso of the jelly creature. Lee would not finish with a kick however. Using the momentum and center of the infamous mist step, he would hooks the creature's body, and pivot with full force. Body still roaring with fury, he would simply SLAM the abomination into one of it's own kin. Smash it raw, smash it with violence. He would not tolerate such bizarre and ridiculous beings make him a fool, make him an embarrassment.
Heihachi didn't.
COMBATSYS: LeeChaolan successfully hits ThirteenSwarmB with Mist Trap.
! VENGEANCE !
[ \\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
ThirteenSwarmB 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 LeeChaolan
Brutality. Interesting. Interesting!! Urien had never seen this side of Lee until this very moment. Ah... the rage of inferiority. One he is intimately familiar with. He wears his grin quietly at the moment, however. The fight is reaching it's climax.
What happens can only be called a slaughter. In a ferocious whirlwind of kicks and lightning blows they cannot even react to, Lee is surrounded by the disintegrating bodies of all but one; and the last Thirteen which remains has already been wounded, limping along with one good leg. It's thoroughly outclassed by the man opposite, but it doesn't seem to know fear.
It might be given that lesson in it's last moments.
Suddenly crouching down on all fours, a number of tendrils rocket out at once. Within it's programming, it goes for a location known to be vulnerable on human anatomy, to be used to stagger quality opponents.
In other words, all of them try to nail Lee right in the groin.
COMBATSYS: LeeChaolan blocks ThirteenSwarmB's Whipping Pseudopods.
[ \\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
ThirteenSwarmB 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 LeeChaolan
"My apologies, Urien!"
Those were the words as Lee unleashes the executing slam. The anger was gone, the anguish was faded. In it's place was the refined composure that Lee commonly exhibited. Rage was a way of Mishima life. But Lee would not let it eat at him. When that rage came forth, you lash out, and you let it out, and you end it there. That anger was poured out into those two jelly creatures.
And now they were dead.
The last one comes, and Lee's remaining shards of anger was flushed out. As the hentacles comes for Lee, the martial artist simply does what was well-known at many of the businessman's parties as the 'Silver Bullet.' With a wink, the silver-hair devil suddenly meets the tendrils with a pelvic thrust of perfect rhythm, of perfect timing. Stopping the assault cold with the most vulnerable of the human anatomy, Lee only gives the hint of a grimace.
And then, a smirk.
He sweeps a wide kick around, ready to catch the wounded creature flawlessly. "I did not mean to lose my composure like that!" With a swift smash, he would finish the assault with a sudden straight punch to utterly pop the creature. A fast move, a finishing move. But all in all?
A truly excellent combo.
COMBATSYS: ThirteenSwarmB endures LeeChaolan's Excellent Combo.
[ < > ////////////// ]
ThirteenSwarmB 1/-======/=======|=====--\-------\0 LeeChaolan
The finale of the game comes. The creature realizes it is not going to survive. And the instinct forged into it in those moments is simple. The brutal roundhouse kick is intercepted by both arms, blowing through them and clipping it in the head. Yet then it kicks forward, straight into the punch. With a ripple, it liquifies it's torso. The first annihilates it, but the kinetic force is stalled. Only stalled; this maneuver has no hope of saving it. Only granting it a second longer of life... life it uses with utmost violence!!
Clinging tight to the fist, the remainder of the Thirteen's body sprouts tentacles, striking out with ruthless force. Again and again, slowly losing power and speed as the creature's form disintegrates, until it sloughs off and thumps upon the ground, bubbling away like the others.
"Heh...! You are an interesting man, Lee. To think, your greatest weakness this fight was arrogance. But... You are strong!!"
The tube suddenly lifts up with a hiss. The massive figure of Urien strides forward, hands within the pockets of his suit. Heavy footsteps reverberate from the metal ground. There is a wildness in his eyes now, grin becoming something brutal and predatory. Lee is weakened. He is in the heart of a powerful facility. He is against a man nearly his equal, at his peak.
Suddenly Urien draws both hands violently from his pants pocket, scissoring upwards. A violent blur. The intent is to take Lee off-guard; to grasp his hand in a crushing shake.
"You pass, Mr. Chao Lan. I respect you!!"
COMBATSYS: ThirteenSwarmB can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
LeeChaolan 0/-------/--=====|
COMBATSYS: LeeChaolan blocks ThirteenSwarmB's Multiple Pseudopod Storm.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
LeeChaolan 0/-------/--=====|
A problem with arrogance?
The kick comes clean, the punch comes clean. But as it explodes inside out into tentacles, a stalwart second limb comes forward, holding fast against the swarm. Continuing to step into the assault and controlling it into submission, Lee stands over the remains of the pack. Winded, wounded, but unyielding. His instincts are high still. He senses movement. As Urien comes in with both hands, Lee reacts with a blur of motion.
And seizes Urien by the wrist.
Lee Chaolan pauses for a moment, the other hand drawn back.... before laughing, shaking both a finger at Urien... and the man's own hand. "Sorry Urien! You need to be more cautious right after I fight!" He responds, returning the shake. "Wouldn't it have been embarrassing if I kicked you in the head or something terrible? Goodness. So this is what your projects have been up to? Amazing!" He begins to throw a hand over Urien's shoulder. "I suppose I should be next in upping the ante, and be giving YOU a tour of G-Corporation!"
"What do you say, partner?"
COMBATSYS: Lee has ended the fight here.
"Hahaha!! If we fought now..." Urien suddenly grins broad, flexing the considerable muscle beneath his grasped wrist. "I would crush you...!" For a moment he allows that to hang in the air like a guillotine, before the tension of fighting finally fades. Perhaps he considered it. Lee couldn't go so far as to say he planned it... but this was certainly as much an attempt to impress Lee as it was to consider the merits of a partnership more thoroughly.
Large arms cross before his chest, before eyes narrow. Serious, now. "You do not trust me. And I do not trust you. But that is exactly why this will work. We won't remain partners forever... only until one of us stops being valuable to the other. But there's one important aspect to keep in mind. ...We are both small fish, Mr. Chao Lan. Shadaloo. NESTS. The Syndicates. R. Those should be our targets. When they are destroyed..."
The grip on Lee's hand would tighten, with a 'tch'.
"What do you say we wait until then to find out which of us can crush the other...?!"
Urien could probably beat Lee in a fight right now.
That fact lingered in the martial artist's head. However, if he was worried, his exterior didn't show it. Cool and confident, even in the face of fighting a dozen genetic freaks, Lee doesn't seem the least bit intimidated by Urien, nor does he seem threatened. They were just good friends, good partners. But the offer comes for larger targets. The mechanisms in Lee's mind begins to whirr.
And Lee Chao Lan doesn't miss a beat.
"Oh, I agree Urien! And judging by your... secretive nature, it would be beneficial for you to, ah, be our secretive front for such operations. Overall, Urien, I think that plan would be just....." The arm over the shoulder remains slung over, as he tightens its hand into a fist. And with it, he suddenly launches out a single thumbs up. Ignoring his sore body, he gives Urien a wink, and a smile.
"Excellent~"
Log created on 20:46:01 05/28/2013 by Urien, and last modified on 02:23:22 06/04/2013.