Description: Daniel's search through Paris for clues about the enigmatic Saiki of whom Mukai spoke leads him to again encounter a certain time-traveling Stray Dog, and then leads them both to Notre Dame Cathedral, which now languishes without visitors. There the two encounter Ash Crimson, who waits as though their chase had been by his design. He possesses a prize that, should they win it, could upend these nefarious plots and force the enemy into the open. But though detective and hound may wish to interrogate his association with the tournament, it is they, in the mysterious atmosphere of the impossible chamber high above the church, who will find themselves questioned.
Paris in its entirely has been a place filled with tension. Missing children have been reported from all over. The atmosphere of the world's tension seems to have risen in the passing days. People who wandered around have avoided each other and casted wary glances.
Meanwhile, there is a place where people fear to tread. The Notre Dame Cathedral, the venerable church, has been built since eons ago. It took almost one hundred years to complete the construction. It has seen bloodshed through riots and wars. It may perhaps see the end of the world.
However, one person is making his way to the church.
Standing at the entrance of the massive cathedral is a young man at the end of his teenage years. He is wearing his blue street attire. He looks up the building with a thoughtful look.
"This is where the strays feared to cross."
When the Stray Dog approached them, they warned him of an ominous presence within the building. That ominous feeling is why Jiro had to stave off the feral side and explore the depths of the place.
So here he is, wandering into that building. Once inside, he is treated with is the sight of numerous pews set aside and the decoration of stained glasses and normally vibrant colors now dimmed. This unsettling feeling has Jiro with an uneasy feeling. He looks ahead to see the halls of the church.
"...I see why they have been unsettled."
"I didn't think they had strays in this part of the city."
The words echo behind the teenager. Daniel Jack had said those words before to Jiro. It wasn't too long ago, in fact. But then, the detective was fearful. He was afraid. But now?
He was looking for Saiki.
The detective stands at the doorway of the cathedral. The detective was not looking sharp. He wasn't looking sharp at all. The aftermath of his encounter with Mukai was not... good. The detective was smashed through more than one pillar. The clothing damage was high. And his outfit, well. Orange slacks, with a grey suit jacket. No glasses, No hat, just short curls. The detective had only leftover clothing to wear.
And plenty of leftover bruises.
"What are you doing here, kid?"
It is a twitch response; what was once the cool blue eyes have turned into olive green slits. His expression forms a scowl as his canines sharpen. His animalistic nature takes over as he wheel his attention towards the source. That sneer forms at the detective. If Jiro had hackles, they would be raised by now.
"You again."
Pause. There is an uncomfortable silence as Jiro takes the moment to assess the officer's condition before dismissing him, "You look like shit." The teenager continues to look ahead, making his way along the path towards the cathedral. "I am here to investigate the disappearance of the children along with Alma, however... something brings me here..." Jiro cannot help but seems to be something nearby. In fact, something seems rather out of place.
Briefly ignoring the detective, Jiro is placing his hand along the walls of the church, feeling for something. He sniffs the air, darting his attention around.
"A stench..."
Those keen animal senses brings Jiro towards a wallt hat feels rather out of place. He gives it a rapt, "...Ah. What do we have here...?" There is a strange door in place of one of the walls. "...Heh. It's like an RPG. Find a hidden door. Maybe I'll get some some cool treasure." He jokes to himself.
It was him again.
Daniel Jack is silent, staring across the deserted church wordlessly. As Jiro's visage changes, he tenses his body, taking a step back. Hands up, he had fallen into the defensive stance of Todoh-Ryuu, ready to catch a pouncing beastman. But the dog stands down. The detective waits another moment, before seething out.
"Jiro, I -feel- like shit."
Seeing that Jiro isn't aggressive, his guard drops. Hunching his shoulders, he digs them into his pants pockets. And with that, he drags himself through the cathadral. Jiro was picking up on something. Daniel himself could feel something... wrong in the room. A sense of foreboding, an oppressing presence. As the teenager picks up a scent, he looks to the wall, that he inspects. And as the boy talks about what to find.
The detective stares at Jiro.
"What the hell is a RPG? Find a hidden door, get treasu- are you talking about some Everquest shit? This isn't a game, kid!" The detective adjusts his spare jacket. Glaring at the door, he scowls. "Do you feel that kid? I sense something... nasty. Something big is behind there, and..." Daniel looks upwards. "And... up."
He is silent again, jaw slack.
"... You aren't gonna find the kids Jiro." Daniel begins, speaking softly. Looking back down at the wall, he stares a hole into it. "I got a source. They're gone. I can't tell you where I got it, but... there is something supernatural involved in this." The detective suddenly unleashes a swift kick into the wall, beside the point that Jiro identified. With a groan, the door begins to slide open, revealing a musty tunnel behind it.
"Jiro, have you heard the name Saiki?"
"I am allowed some moment of amusement in situations like this. After all, I am an omen." Jiro gives a thoughtful shrug, looking over the door while he starts moving his hand over to open it up.
"I can feel it to some degree. Frei would be able to pick this shit up better than I can. However, the fact that the strays would not cross here already gave me an incentive to explore the depths of this place."
The young man considers Daniel's words about the children, "...Bah. Figures." His shoulders slacken, "If something supernatural is involved with this, then this location will be a nice clue on finding them. Or at least, finding the source."
With Daniel kicking the door down, Jiro looks along the halls and then he starts walking down the depths with a more wary gaze around him.
"Can't say that I have. I am going to wager that he has something to do with this commotion. What have you found?"
This path leads to a area that feels completely displaced. The atmosphere is that of a catacombs, only the dead lie here. The atmosphere is ethreal and beyond that earthy feel. It is something else.
"The worst omen."
The detective's tone was dry, terse, and tense. He slips behind the stray dog, pulling out a maglight from his jacket pocket. Clicking it on, he illuminates the passage. Despite its age, it isn't dusty, clear of cobwebs. He was breathing heavily now, casting nervous eyes across the narrow catacomb tunnels. The detective moves in first, leading the way into the depths. Passing in front of Jiro, the detective sniffs the air himself. "I wager he does, scuzzy." He states coldly. "I can't tell you what it is. It is just bad juju. But it's chi.
"Doesn't numb me, like psycho energy."
Daniel Jack works his way through the skull-lined passages of the narrow passage. The tunnel does not take long to twist upwards, taking huge hills upwards. The slopes are sometimes so steep, that the detective has to crawl on his hands and knees. "This is a hell of an operation." He says, working his way up one of those tall slopes. Looking up the slope of the tunnel, he pulls himself up on top of the catacomb slope. Looking back down, he looks upwards "We've been going up for a while. A long, long while. If my sense of direction is right, we should be outside the church now..."
"And about hundred feet above it."
"Heh. It won't be the last time I'll hear of that."
Rolling his eyes at the detective, Jiro is walking along the grounds that is the secret lair of something more ominous. As Daniel continues to move along the path, Jiro is following right behind him. His eyes narrow slightly, then he gives a slight shrug. "Eh...."
Ominous? This place isn't very...
Okay, I'm lying, it's totally ominous.
At the end of the foreboding passage is another door, and through that door is a large chamber of sorts, the walls unpolished obsidian and the ceiling lost to darkness. Red light reflects off stone and illuminates most of the room, the source a glimmering crimson orb set upon a pedastal, granite fingers wrapped around the sphere in a loving embrace. It looks impossible to remove. Within the sphere is a thick fog, its insides folding in on itself, churning, writhing in pain and agony. Here is where the energy is most concentrated, and seems drawn into the orb. The aura of this place is most unpleasant, like that one night when you thought having two Big Macs was a great idea until spending an hour in the loo afterwards.
Shadows are chased away to the far corners, deep and bottomless. What untold horrors do they hold? Monsters? The ghosts of the lost children, reaching out to the plane of the living from beyond? As soon as the duo crosses the threshold, whatever lurks there stirs quietly. A figure. A man. Slender and with platinum blonde hair, he stretches before striding forwards, lazily placing a hand on the generous curve of his hip. He is real, he exists, and he speaks French, "Mon dieu!" Oh dear. "I might have died if I had to wait any longer."
It is Ash Crimson.
Taking a moment to admire his intricately painted nails, he continues on to speak in a manner most flippant, uncaring and even unaffected by the stifling air, "I suppose you're both wondering where this is. It's not the church, it's not even real..." A beat. "Or is it? Ahaha~" Dick. He reaches out to the sphere, fingers ghosting along the curve. The mist reacts immediately, the twisting and swirling ceasing. Instead, it seems to begin shivering with anticipation. Is it... alive? The flamewielder smiles a pretty smile that doesn't reach his eyes, "Don't I know you? Hm, I suppose it doesn't matter now that you're here. What I can tell you is that 'they' call this a Time Sphere, and there's more than one of them. The mass disappearances, the Gulf of Thailand freezing over... The cause of that is right here -- well, the disappearances, at least."
"I wonder, if I let either of you smash this, could it bring them back?"
The lithe Frenchman's soft, lilting laughter rings about the chamber and it is as if a hundred Ashs were all giggling in creepy unison. He politely splays thin fingers across his lips and quells his cruel amusement. There is a long pause before he has more to say, and if any questions are asked of him, the European interrupts them rudely, "Let's see if your resolve is as strong as mine. I will achieve my goals by any means necessary. If you want this 'Time Sphere', then you're going to have to take it from me."
He is gone. Only a blur of red marks where the flamboyant flamewielder once stood. Is he fast, or did he vanish? It's hard to tell, even when the blonde 'reappears'. One arm extended, Ash reaches for the face of... Jiro?! A verdant plume of flame bursts to life, winding around his outstretched fingers. "J'espere que vous aimez la douleur exquise, mon ami!" That is all the warning before the fight begins, the opportunist capitalizing on a perfect moment, hoping for optimal results. Whether or not the Stray Dog still has eyebrows after this is up to him.
COMBATSYS: Ash has started a fight here.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ <
Ash 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Jiro has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
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Ash 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Jiro
COMBATSYS: Daniel has joined the fight here on the right meter side.
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////////////////////////]
Ash 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Jiro
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Daniel
COMBATSYS: Jiro counters Brumaire from Ash with Backlash.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Ash 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Jiro
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Daniel
This was foreboding.
As Daniel Jack emerges, he casts a glance towards the orb, casing the room fast. The flashlight glances over the room, before settling on the one person in it. The detective frowns. He frowns, hard, as he stares at the fey Frenchman. Slowly, his head tilts to the side. Memories rush back to him. Pasteries. Frenchmen. A delicious Hamburger. An overeating witch. The dark skinned man twitches, as he rips into the room. Standing tall, he points at Ash, eyes burning.
"You."
The blur comes, and the detective throws up his guard. He ends up guarding somewhere opposite of where the blonde-haired man reappears. The detective gasps, sucking in a rich take of miasma. The aura of this place was sickening. But where there would be disgust, there was rage. Glaring aside to his partner, he nods firmly as the Stray Dog doesn't take any shit. Daniel Jack thrusts a finger right back at Ash.
"YOU!"
He barks, tightening his free fist. He explodes forward, driving straight for Ash. Armed with the maglight, he pounces from behind. Flashlight held high overhead, he swiftly attempts to deck the pretty boy squarely in the base of his skull, screaming furiously as fresh memories surge back into him.
"=YOOOOOOOU!!!="
"Damnit..."
That would be Jiro's reaction upon his arrival into what appears to be a large chamber. He is taking the very moment to survey every nook and cranny of the place. His eyes note the unpolished obsidian walls. What amazes him the most is the red light that is emanating from the ominous stone up ahead. His eyes widen as pure shock take over him. The feeling of the place is very chilling.
"...Holy shit. This is like I've stepped into some dungeon off of a video game."
Mentally, Jiro is wondering if a beast of unknown proportions will show up. Considering everything that has happened to him so far, Jiro doesn't think it would be far off if some ogre or dragon manifests before them to fight. However, as they explore the depths of the facility, what Jiro finds...
... Is disappointment.
"Fuck." He gives an exasperated sigh, "I was hoping it would had been some ogre or---...." However, the thoughts soon fade as Jiro gets a better look at the slender man before them. This French-speaking man is now recognized and Jiro is not looking too happy. His expression contorts to a more feral look; the blue eyes shift to a olive green hue with slits and his fangs show.
"You again." The floodgate of memories flourishes in his mind; it was Ash and Duo Lon jumping in at him when he was beating Alma up at the high school. It was one of those humiliating days for Jiro. This earns the young man's ire, who is ready for a fight.
"Prick." Jiro snarls, his fists tightening as the white flames ignite briefly. Once the flames flicker away, Jiro is lifting his hands up to a guarding position while a foot slides forward. He readies himself for a fight. "Tsch. ----What?" Jiro watches the movement of the mist, a frown curling before he looks back at Ash with those feral eyes.
Time Sphere...?
This elicts a reaction from the Stray Dog, "Are these Time Spheres the reason why I am here as well?!" He grits his teeth. He furrows his eyebrows. That would explain quite a bit. "...Well, I guess we'll have to smash it an find out!"
The laughter triggers the Stray Dog to look all around. It's everywhere! It gives Ash a chance to dash close-range with Jiro. However, those heightened senses are enough for Jiro to pick up on Ash and catch him before he is caught with his face covered in flames.
"Gotcha!"
Jiro takes a step back to reach an arm at Ash's grasping arm. He starts spinning the man around. In fact, as Ash is spun around, Jiro readies himself to drop his weight down to force Ash towards the ground.
"All yours, detective!"
He takes a quick step back to give Daniel room to strike Ash.
COMBATSYS: Ash dodges Daniel's Light Random Weapon.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Ash 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Jiro
> //////////////////////////////]
|-------\-------\0 Daniel
Ah, how unexpected. His devious plan to burn off Jiro's eyebrows has failed...
Game over, man. GAME OVER.
No, not really.
Ash is quick to adapt to any situation, including horrible failure; he rolls with the punches. He rolls with the punches even when the punches are not punches but some weakling grabbing his arm and-- The hell is that? The effeminate fighter is forced more to spin and crouch, almost stumbling. There is a blink of surprise, a small wince as his knee hits the floor, but dog boy's touchy-feely counter did nothing except give him what might amount to a small bruise, and that's only because he landed on a rock. If the Frenchman had thought Jiro was worth some consideration, he is not wondering for long. "Saaaa, was that it? The best you can do?" His arrogant grin matches the mocking tone while slender fingers comb through his fair hair, setting it back in place--
'YOOOOOOOOU!'
Blue irises snap to their limits - it helps that Jiro gives it away - and before Daniel can bring the maglight crashing down onto the back of his neck, the slippery flamewielder has simply stood up and stepped out of the way. Not too far, but enough that it's a clear miss. "Huh, clearly I have met you both." He's very perceptive like that, but also confused. Just what was it, what did he do to earn such outrage and contempt? If it was something so terrible, surely Ash would remember, but a dig through his memory banks yields no results...
Oh well, he doesn't care, shrugging it away. You got feelings? That's nice, why don't you take this quarter and call your mom?
"Now then," Crimson moves with a dancer's grace, bending at the waist and brushing dirt from his pantleg, "If you hadn't existed before now, le petit cabot, then perhaps you were brought back from the dead at the cost of so many lives..." The flamewielder's eyes suddenly blaze red, "How does that make you feel?"
This question, there's something strange. Something that will compell Jiro to answer with only the truth. How is that possible? What power does this slender man possess?
So interested is he in the answer, the blonde European almost completely forgets about Daniel, but not to worry. He'll have the opportunity to get burned, because Ash doesn't want any interruptions. The best way to ensure that doesn't happen... The flamewielder just attempts to set the detective on fire. A flick of the wrist is all it takes, unleashing two crescents of vibrant green flames. They combine into a huge conflagration that eats up any distance between Crimson and Shouty McYellsABunch, and hopefully gives him something to deal with. His turn will come soon. SOOOOOOOON.
COMBATSYS: Ash successfully hits Daniel with Ventose.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Ash 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Jiro
> ///////////////////// ]
|======-\-------\0 Daniel
He was too fast.
The flashlight catches nothing but wind, whistling through the air. Daniel Jack scowls, glaring at the spot where the agile fighter once was. Teeth gritted, he holds up the flash light. His body was tense; while Jiro had proven himself faster than the man, the fact of the matter that the detective wasn't lightning fast. The flashlight focuses on the glowing eyes of the one Crimson Man.
His pupils contract as he stares into those green flames.
The detective drops the flashlight. As it clatters on the ground, he hurls his form away, attempting to evade the blast of fire. Instead of rolling under the fire, he kind of… gets hit by the flames while on his knees. Sent tumbling by the fire, he is sent flying across the black room, smashing against the obsidian wall with a groan. The green flames continue to sear and smoldering, burning the body of Daniel Jack. He was in incredible pain.
But still alive.
He lets out a great groan, before staggering upright. The detective hurls off the remains of his tattered coat, revealing a well-formed white tank top. His muscled body was badly burned, and still smoldering in some places, the green embers glowing deeply. Daniel tenses his jaw, eyes coals as well. Staggering across the room, he finally says something meaningful.
"I -knew- you were trouble!"
Limping ahead, his body erupts in orange energy. "You arrogant bastard, you try to seduce sweet witches, and now you are involved in stealing away children?" Thrusting a finger back towards Jiro, he nods at his partner. "Sorry for screwing it up! This guy's real dangerous! I've met him before! I had a bad feeling about him before! This isn't one of your fantasy games, scuzzy!"
"He's some kind of French vampire!"
The detective lunges in with a left hand towards Ash, thrusting in a palm strike. "What's your deal, Frenchie?" He barks, as he brings the right hand around into a hand chop, burning alight with orange energy. "Why the Time Sphere? Why all this illusion and aura stuff?" Roaring in slowly, he tries to seize Ash by the hip after the hand chop. Should he get a grip on him, he will place his other hand on Ash's shoulder, and with a pivot, attempting to hurl him straight for Jiro, while demanding his last question.
"And what do you have to do with Saiki?"
"Tsch..."
Those are Jiro's words as he finishes throwing Ash to a distance away from him. Although the throw was a bit weak, Jiro managed to avoid getting the worst of the grab. That alone was a brush of fresh air for him. However, this pruposes a problem: Ash is the gatekeeper of the Time Sphere. That arrogant taunt, however, grants a look of irritation that draws the lingering desire to punch Ash in the face.
A quick glance back at Daniel earns a raised eyebrow, "Don't know, French vampire would qualify." He straightens his arms up to stretch.
"You've wrecked my day once," Jiro notes in response to Ash's comment of meeting him before. However, the young man does look rather perplexed, "... Brought back... from the dead?" He grits his teeth, those words are starting to ring into his ears.
~ "Jiro's dead," Mimiru notes to Alma. ~
~ "... And memories from the past, walking right here in Chinatown," were Daniel's words. ~
"Angry. Angry that I am caught up in something where I am out of place. Angry that since my arrival here, I have been forsaken by my own little sister, who seems to have grown up without a big brother. Angry that I have to hear dipshits like this guy..." He gestures a hand towards Daniel, "Call me a ghost or memories of a past."
Jiro grits his teeth and he charges straight towards Ash. As he moves straight towards Ash, the young man starts winding his fist back. His expression becomes more fierce as he screams out.
"I am no ghost. I am no memory! I am Jiro Kasagi!"
Jiro lunges forward with his fist swung out. It becomes a fierce push as he drives his fist straight at Ash's face. Especially when Daniel is attempting to hurl Ash at his path.
COMBATSYS: Ash just-defends Jiro's Aggressive Strike!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Ash 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Jiro
> ///////////////////// ]
|=====--\-------\0 Daniel
COMBATSYS: Ash interrupts Bring Down the House EX from Daniel with Nivose.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Ash 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Jiro
> ///////////// ]
|=======\===----\1 Daniel
His lower lip is protruding, Ash tapping the pad of his finger gently against it. He stands comfortably and at ease, one arm folded across his middle, wrapped around himself almost protectively. Making a soft noise as the answer is considered and clicking his tongue off the backs of white teeth, he wonders aloud, "So, you don't belong? You feel no remorse for the people who were sacrificed? Interesting..." But were they sacrificed? Could the wily Crimson be telling the truth? With him, it's hard to say, but at least the Frenchman isn't as difficult to understand as Daniel is. Daniel makes absolutely no sense at all.
As much as the flamewielder would rather just ignore him, eventually the nonsense does attract his attention if only because Daniel has enough of it to spew. Eyes that have reverted back to blue take in the detective's new look -- singed suits him quite well. "Le realite et toi, vous ne vous entendez pas, n'est-ce pas?" Seducing sweet witches, stealing away child-- woah, hold on. Ash's head tilts to a curious angle, what was once a lazy gaze turning cold and hard. It's a good thing that looks cannot kill. "... Hn. You think /I/ 'stole' those children," he intones icily, his voice low, "That /I/ am behind the disappearances? You make some very amusing accusations, but they are false."
"Telling you who that man is, or what my relation is to him, would serve no purpose. What could the likes of you do? You, the ignorant fool, misdirecting blame. Saiki would crush you, and good riddance."
Sassy hairflip is sassy. Jiro yells and Ash seems out to cruelly dismiss his other opponent altogether, but Daniel will have none of that. Before the flamboyant European can turn away, the palm strikes him directly in the sternum, winding him only slightly. The flamewielder's lip curls in an unattractive sneer, "TOO SLOW!" His movements are practiced and elegant, twisting down into a crouch while the hand chop glances off his shoulder. Such is his fury at being falsely named the culprit, accused of HELPING that bastard, that the orange energy doesn't even phase him, "GET OUT OF MY FACE, TU ME PELES LE JONC!" Oh shit.
The lithe Frenchman springs off, kicking with his left foot into a full backflip. As his heel crashes into Daniel's chin, possibly knocking him away a second time, it ignites with the same verdant flames and a trailing arc of them follows him as he completes the complicated maneuver. His arms fan out, Ash twisting, landing, making nary a sound and straightening. He is right in Jiro's path, but not arriving there how the detective had originally intended, and that means he's prepared. Throwing up an arm, his shoulder and muscles work to cushion the blow to the point where... Crimson feels nothing. Weak. PATHETIC. "Looks like I'll be wrecking your day once again, ahahaha~"
Oh, this wasn't good.
The detective groans in pain as the assault is broken by a swift heel to the chin. The green flames, however, reignites him a second time. Daniel panicks, stopping, dropping, and rolling, tumbling on the ground with the slam of the food. Eventually, the fires go out, the energy having consumed his undershirt... and covering his upper torso with heavy burns. The green embers smolder on his body, as Daniel Jack gives out a heaving moan of agony. And yet, something compels him. A question.
"What could the likes of you do?"
"I unite people." The detective says, rising up again. "I have stood before Vega, and knew how weak I could be. I have been left for dead before. And I knew that alone, I am nothing. Alone, you are just a memory, or even, less than a memory. So I unite. I network. I organize. And you see the fruits of it now. Jiro was never a close friend of mine, with no offense to you." He nods to his partner.
"And yet, we are struggling together, against you."
Daniel Jack walks towards the stalwart Ash, body spasming with every step. "And you know what? I've even made friends of enemies. That's what I do. I help bring together a united front. I unite people. I want to get to the bottom of this, to save those people. And unless you know how to save them?"
"You are in my way."
"Saiki knows something about those missing people. You know Saiki, just like Mukai does. And you have a relation to Saiki, one that you won't tell us. If you don't have anything to do with the disappearances, then you have something to do with all of this. And us being here? Screws with your plans."
"And it's worth killing us to protect it, isn't it?"
The detective lunges in again, charging forward into the white-haired teen. Lunging in with another palm strike, he tightens his jaw fiercely, body trembling through the pain, Palm with the left, hand chop with the right. "I'm not let you kill me." He seethes, hurling out an elbow jab with his right, following through after the hand chop. He finishes the combo with a short, violent upper cut, attempting to increase the distance between himself and Ash.
"I'm not gonna let myself get killed by a monster like you."
"Why the hell should I care for people that I owe nothing to?" There is glare that is formed on the young man's face, "As far as I am concerned, this isn't my world. However, I will at least help the people that are alive." Whether this guy is telling the truth or not is not known. Honestly, Jiro does not care.
However, it seems that Ash does reveal something: He is not responsible for the children's disappearance. This is enough of a clue for Jiro to keep in his hip pocket.
"So what's your aim, then, or will this be one of your "I shall never tell, hon hon hon" sort of deals?" Jiro maintains that annoyed look at Ash as he doesn't seem to want to tell about Saiki.
While Daniel received the worst of the blow, Jiro's pride is struck once more when Ash throws his arms over to guard against the incoming fist that seeks to tear his head off. The eyes widen in shock, but he continues to press forward.
"Not done yet!" He leans in to ensnare Ash by his leg while hte other hand moves towards the man's chest. He is shooting forward to try to lift Ash while the distance is close and then let the weight drop on Ash.
"WRECK THIS!"
He does, however, take the moment to respond to Daniel's 'no offense comment', "Yeah yeah.."
Should Jiro have some success with his grapple, he'll at least try to hold Ash over for Daniel to get his licks in before dropping Ash.
COMBATSYS: Ash just-defends Daniel's Zoot Suit Riot!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////////////////// ]
Ash 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Jiro
> ///////////// ]
|=======\===----\1 Daniel
COMBATSYS: Ash interrupts Medium Throw from Jiro with Rapide Ventose.
? Strange Hit! ?
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////////////// ]
Ash 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Jiro
> ///////////// ]
|=======\===----\1 Daniel
The challenge has been issued, Jiro demanding of Ash that he 'wreck this', perhaps rhetorically, but being the kind, considerate Frenchman that he is, he will happily oblige. What happens is that dog boy does grasp the flamewielder by the front of his crimson fighting attire, bunching the zippered collar in a steel grip. His leg evades capture, and lifting the thin fighter proves to be impossible. There is a menacing, creepy grin that splits his attractive face. "Just remember, you asked for this..." Ash purrs, and reaches out in turn, but with a bubbling blob of green pain that he simply thrusts straight into Jiro's chest to knock the living memory away and give him something to think about the next time he feels the need to get all grabby-hands.
Snuffing out the fires of green hell, sorting his collar and smoothing out the material, one eyebrow quirks high on his forehead. Crimson chuckles, "Oui, help the people left behind, those who are suffering because you exist. They mourn the loss of their friends and family. Maybe you should disappear, burn to ashes." He shrugs, it doesn't matter to him, then chirps cheerfully, "My aim, my goals... Are none of your concern." Fu fu fu, etc. etc.
With Jiro indisposed, if only for the moment, this means that there is Daniel left, and he recovers but is worse for wear. Ash displays no sign of remorse, merely scrutinizes the detective with a level, piercing stare that would unhinge most. He smirks faintly before that sass-gap opens wide in a yawn, "Saa, you're b--oor--ring me. Are you done? I don't have time for this."
"But I know how to save them. Maybe."
Catching flaxen strands of platinum blonde hair between two fingers, Ash toys with them absently, brushing the ends against his lips. "You really think that I mean to kill you, either of you? If it were necessary, perhaps, but I'd rather consider other alternatives. You see, I have no interest in killing anyone, especially those who are just as-- ah, I almost said too much." A beat. "That wouldn't have been very fun." Is this a game to him? The flamewielder is laughing again; a soft, effeminate giggle. The mist within the orb trembles, and seems thicker than before.
If Daniel means to hit the fey Frenchman, he's going to have to try harder than that. The palm strike is too obvious, too repetitive. Ash bats it away, knocks the chop off-course, and that elbow smacks straight into Crimson's open palm. He shakes his head, "Better luck next time!" He intentionally lingers just so when the detective extends himself in an uppercut, it whooshes past the European's face -- he pulled back at the very last moment. Head turning, looking off into the ceiling lost to darkness, he mutters, "Tch, monster. You know nothing about me."
The Frenchman yawning hits a switch inside Daniel Jack's brain.
The man twitches, eyes blazing as his roaring offense... sputters before the nimble young man. "Grraaagh!" He screams, as Ash just taunts and teases him, pulls and pushes him. "You- I- Bu- JERK! FRENCH JERK!" He roars as the cheeky young man slips right past his uppercut. Casting a furious glance to his partner, the detective decides enough was enough.
It was time to mean business.
"If you know how to save them, you better start spitting it out right now, scuzzy!" He roars, diving for Jiro. Gripping his shoulders, he helps the Stray Dog back up. "You want us to stay out our way? You give us what we want!" The detective seethes and boils, biting at the aloof man. "Cause I'm mean. I'm dog mean. And scuzzy?" He tightens his grip on Jiro.
"This is gonna get mean."
Daniel Jack suddenly erupts in an orange fire, consuming the whole of his upper torso. That same energy flows from his arms, flowing straight over the very Jiro he holds tight. It was not lethal burning; no, it was simply empowering him, charging him up with the detective burning spirit. With a heave, he lifts his partner overhead, seizing him tight. Body ablaze with chi energy, he turns to Ash Crimson. Winding back, he calls out to him.
"Hey!"
"Asshole!"
"You're an asshole!"
And he spikes the chi-infused Jiro straight at the man.
REKT!
Unfortunately, while Jiro meant his comment rhethorically, Ash took it literally and decided to ruin his day completely. While he evaded the leg capture, Jiro meets head on with the wonderful green blob of death that is shot straight into Jiro's chest. With no time to react, he only briefly sees his impending pain before it consumes him. His body shudders violently from the impact of the manifested chi before him. He can't even scream right now.
His body is knocked lopsided as he rolls around the ground in a ragdoll-like manner. "...SHIT!" He rolls on his side, clutching his stomach in pain. "...Damn... you."
Of course, as Ash continues to mock them and make his taunting, Jiro grows annoyed.
"Don't care to know you...----Buh?"
Jiro is met with the hands grabbing his shoulder. He turns his head towards Daniel, "... Why are you grabbing m---" Daniel is erupting within that orange fire and then he is chucked straight at Ash.
"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCKKKKK YOOOUUUUUUUUU!!!!"
Those words are left from Jiro as he is flying straight towards Ash. The young man is engulfed with the orange blaze... And then, his body ignites in white flames and he seeks to crash onto Ash.
He wants to punch the smugness off of Ash's face.
"Where was I? Right... I JUST WANT TO KNOCK YOUR %&#@ING HEAD OFF!"
His fist winds back and he seeks to drive his fist at Ash's face.
COMBATSYS: Ash just-defends Daniel's Mean Business!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////////////////////// ]
Ash 0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0 Jiro
> //////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Daniel
COMBATSYS: Ash interrupts Fury Unleashed from Jiro with Pluviose.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Ash 0/-------/-------|=======\===----\1 Jiro
> //////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Daniel
'Jerk! French jerk!'
Eyes like the clear sky flash in a series of blinks. He splays a hand across the front of the zippered top, material creasing beneath his fingertips. Ash feigns hurt, his lower lip jutting out in an exaggerated pout. "Moi? That isn't very nice. Insulting my heritage is discrimination. I don't call you or le petit cabot out for offending my delicate sensibilities with your language or stench." Burning flesh is gag. The Frenchman even has the audacity to cover his nose for a brief moment.
He really is the most infuriating sort of person.
"I don't think I'll tell you," Crimson says, his flared sleeve lowering, admiring his nails in the red light. The effect it has on the polish is quite fascinating! "Not with that attitude. Didn't your parents ever teach you any manners?" The moment the words eke past the barrier of his lips, his question is answered. Daniel latches onto dog boy and there's a flare of chi. Is he going to... No. Jiro is lifted overhead with great protest and thrown like a human javelin. Gosh, and he's the jerk? Ash winces -- Shen did that to him, once. It wasn't a very pleasant experience.
Called an asshole, sworn at, the flamewielder exhales a sigh. See? His poor ears!-- White flame? Yes, he had seen it before, when the Stray Dog first arrived. There's something different, however. It's just the feeling he gets from them... Ash snorts, "Faker." He'd spit, but the effeminate European would never do something so uncouth.
He wastes much of his precious reaction time making observations and expressing his contempt, but when push comes to shove, Ash does just fine. Jiro-projectile is halted in mid-air by a quickly erected defence. A hand claps down on either shoulder, the lean man's feet spaced apart and braced to absorb the impact. Unfortunately, the Frenchman lacks a third arm to protect himself, so dog boy's fist skips across his freckled cheek, a minor burn marring his otherwise unblemished features. "And now your day goes from bad to worse."
In a split-second, Ash has released Jiro and allowed him to fall directly into the path of his kicking foot. The effeminate, flamboyant weirdo bends away in a back walkover, striking at the abdomen and knocking the living memory into the air. If only it stopped there, but no mercy will ever be shown to those who aim for his face! He touches down only to twist and spring again, the arc of green chasing him around. The mutt soars higher, and higher still. Three times it happens before Crimson hits the ground in a crouch, his irises once again that bloody red, almost aglow. "What will you do once you have failed to achieve anything, failed those in need of your assistance?" Now Daniel will know how it feels to be asked something so irresistible, compelled to speak nothing but the truth as Jiro had been before him.
"You embody your own heritage!"
Daniel Jack shakes a fist, outraged at how Jiro was failing to use the advantage his has. Wincing as the stray dog catches the first kick, he wipes the sweat from his face. "Dammit Jiro! No, no, you are supposed to block! Try blocking the kicks!" Daniel Jack waits a moment to see if Jiro blocks the next kick.
He does not block the next kick.
The detective scuffs his foot, kicking the ground as he punching at the air. "No! Jiro! No! That's not blocking! That's getting hit! The difference is that one is NOT getting your ass kicked! In case you haven't noticed scuzzy, your ass is getting kicked!" The detective facepalms again, still a safe distance away. "Looks like I'll have to step in again." The detective mutters.
RAnd then, the compulsion takes over.
Daniel Jack's pupils dilate. He feels all his thoughts inside pouring out. "This feels like all my thoughts are pouring out." He states, looking up at Ash, confused. And yet, his mouth continues on. "You ask me how when I fail to achieve... anything? When I fail those who need me? Like when I was told that that little girl was gone, that's failing. When I ended up being used by cultists on a worthless watch theft run around, that wasted time, making now worthless allies and ruined countless friendships in the wake? That's failure. When my parents died in that car accident, driving to visit me in Metro City instead of the other way around, that's failure. Every single moment that has brought me here has been a series of failures. Real failures, that affects people's lives. You ask me what I do when I fail to achieve anything? When I fail those who need my help?"
"I keep trying."
Daniel Jack begins to pick up speed towards Ash, swaggering towards the fey blonde man. "I always keep trying, because that's all I have left. Losers become their failures. People who move on, who succeed in life, who eventually achieve things, never become their failures. I've saved a dojo from falling into bankruptcy. I've won an international tournament. I fought the Ikari Warriors, and lived to tell the tale. I befriended a demigod, and survived his betrayal. I will never let myself be weighed down by failure, scuzzy. I'll never let it hold me back. It won't change the people I've hurt, the losses from my failures. The sheer damage of my failures. But it would be an insult to their memories to let myself be consumed by my failures. I'll never back down, no matter how many times I've failed before."
"That's why I'm gonna try and chop you."
Daniel Jack's right hand ignites in orange energy. The detective slows down now, every step deliberate now. "You know, I think creeps like you are real sad on the inside. I've never known a clown happy on the inside, you dig scuzzy. You think your parents taught you anything worthwhile?" Daniel Jack had a feral look in his eyes. He was daring his opponent. He was daring himself. Maybe he wasn't done answering the question. And actions speak louder than words. He was drawing back his hand now, rolls of energy pouring from it as he flattens it, readying the hand chop. "Your mother probably screwed up real bad to come up with a hot mess like you. How do you think she feels about you know? The world's falling apart, and you are just dicking around. Maybe that's why you are such an bozo, scuzzy. Mommy probably never hugged you, or wanted you. That's why all this, this big cry for attention. You didn't get enough growing up, so you gotta get it now, don't cha?" Daniel Jack stops right in front of Ash.
"Well, you have my attention, scuzzy."
Rolls of energy cascade over his hand. He was staring straight at Ash's collarbone. Deep breath in. Exhale out. Just like how Master Todoh taught him. The perfect hand chop. Flawless hand chop. "You know I'm not fast enough to hit this, scuzzy." The detective whispers, tensing his arm. "It's your mistake to make. So I'm gonna ask you. When you fail. When you fail to help the ones who need you." There is a cracking sound. One last inhalation. One last exhalation.
"Do you become the failure?"
"Or do you keep trying?"
And with that, Daniel unleashes the World's Greatest Hand Chop, straight for Ash's collarbone.
"Faker...?"
Jiro's eyes shut, bracing for the moment of the impact. There is a life lesson inthis type of situation: When you are used as an unwilling projectile, expect the worst. Jiro's muscles tighten in preparation for what is likely to come next. If he is successful in striking Ash down, he will be happy to knock that smug look off his face.
There is a bit of satisfaction of the fist striking the cheek to give it a minor burn. However, it is not as much as he would had liked.
'And now your day goes from bad to worse.'
Jiro's eyes widen as he is released and is directed towards the kicking foot. That foot plants deeply towards his gut. "Hggngnkkk!" Blood spills out as he coughs. The wind is knocked out of him. This sends Jiro rocketing towards thesky. "FFfffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu------"
Twice! Three times! Jiro is highin the air and he is spiralling down towards the ground. That impact leaves the cracked earth made of spider webs. Jiro is groaning in pain, curling into a ball. As he rolls along the ground, he shows his defiance.
He lifts a single arm up and reveals his middle finger.
Is it towards Ash, who just beat the hell out of him and humiliated him? Or is it towards Daniel, who is chastizing him for getting his ass kicked?
Yes. :|
"... I hate you all..."
Jiro grimaces, rolling over towards his stomach.
Growling at Ash, Jiro is standing up to his feet. However...
His visage changes: his normally sea blue eyes shifts to a green hue with slits and his canines protrude to appear sharper. That inner beast has awaken and it desires one thing.
Destruction.
That is why Jiro brings his right fist back as he takes a tighten stance. The ground shudders violently from the stomp as his aura manifests around him. The raging blaze around him spirals and he grits his teeth. An after shadow appears from the glow as he growls, "Mowing you to the ground."
Jiro swings his arm out. As he swings that single arm out, it becomes a wrecking ball. That wrecking ball soon manifests into the after image of a rhinoceros charging into the battle. The charging fist is seeking to mow down Ash. ....If Daniel is in the way.
So be it.
COMBATSYS: Ash instinctively blocks Jiro's Rhino Ravager.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
Ash 0/-------/------=|===----\-------\0 Jiro
> /////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Daniel
COMBATSYS: Ash dodges Daniel's World's Greatest Hand Chop.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
Ash 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Jiro
> /////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Daniel
While Ash was in the midst of bruising Jiro's kidneys so badly he'll pee funny for a week, the pale European is deaf to Daniel's shouts and blaming the poor brat for being a massive failure. A shame, truly. He may never emotionally recover.
The slender flamewielder brushes dust from his jacket, from his hair. He touches his cheek lightly, trying to determine the extent of the damage he cannot see... All while the detective pours out his heart, sounding like he's spewing chapters from a Self-Help booklet. Ash doesn't respect this man, thinks of him as an idiot, but that determination is something in which he can admire. Just as he might consider Daniel a kindred spirit in that regard, the moron has to go and spoil it all...
Daniel Jack addresses Ash Crimson, then verbally attacks him.
Confused only at first, the lean Frenchman's pupils dialate. He straightens slowly to his full height. It's not all that impressive, but he still has a few inches on Daniel and Jiro both. His jaw sets, lips purse together into the thinnest of lines. Ash folds his arms across his abdomen and weathers the barrage, looking as though he were cut from white stone.
"You're an eyesore." He speaks softly, his voice measured and deep. For one brief moment, the flamboyant weirdo actually seems... a lot less effeminate, more imposing and masculine in his fury. Ash flicks an errant strand of blonde hair from his sight, the scarlet in his eyes fading back to blue.
At the mention of his mother, that's when it is made plainly obvious just how angry Ash has become. His hands are fisted, an irritated tic seizing the corner of his right eye. He grinds his teeth, one molar against the other, muscles flexing in his cheek... "Va te faire foutre. Fils de pute." There are a few other choice utterances, but muttered so quietly that it is impossible to hear them.
Really, Daniel should consider himself fortunate that the flamewielder doesn't just reach for the jugular the closer he gets. Instead, Ash glares down the length of his nose, head lifted proudly.
Failure, him? After all that, asking if he is the type to get back up if he should fall... "Che." Ash clicks his tongue off the backs of his teeth, once again expressing his contempt. Must be nice, being /able/ to fail. He doesn't have that luxury. The Frenchman must succeed, no matter the cost.
The World's Greatest Hand Chop meant for his collarbone heralds its arrival at last, stirring platinum blonde strands of hair... and Ash isn't there. It cuts through an after-image of him, which shatters into nothing. He has disappeared. He has disappeared because that's how the attractive European tells someone to 'eat shit'. The unlikely allies are free, the threat is gone...
--Wait, no, Crimson now faces Jiro, sneering at the childish display. Fooled you. "Oho, because all of your attempts have been /so/ successful thus far." D..damn, harsh'd by Ash. The blonde fighter makes a 'come hither' gesture, which suggests that he doesn't think that dog boy is capable of more than fake flames and spouting garbage, and he is proven correct... this time. What is that, that is the worst rhino. Might as well change the name of that ridiculous attack to 'Waddling Hippo'. The flamewielder grabs the Stray Dog by his fist, stopping him dead in his tracks. A sadistic smile twists his lips, yanking Jiro in close. Probably too close for the kid's comfort. Uh oh, is this about to get... really disturbing?!
Fingers curl around Jiro's chin, tilting his face up to meet Ash's own. "Honestly, you're just annoying and weak, but I suppose there's always the need for comic relief." His warm breath baths over the younger man's face, their noses are a centimetre apart...
But then Ash grabs the kid by the belt and hefts him up overhead. The Frenchman is built for speed, not for brute strength, so holding Jiro up isn't all that easy, especially when dog boy is probably having some sort of fit. He is quick to rid himself of the burden, and what better way to do so than to use Jiro as a javelin a second time, only with a lot less chi, just straight-up chucking the wannabe werewolf at Daniel as hard as he can. "Why don't you take the trash with you and head home? Ahahaha!" Rotating his shoulder, definitely not going to be doing that again. Hopefully they heed his 'advice'.
COMBATSYS: Daniel dodges Ash's Large Thrown Object.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //////////// ]
Ash 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Jiro
> /////////// ]
|==-----\-------\0 Daniel
Daniel sees the mask slip, if only for a moment.
The hand chop catches nothing. It does not shatter entire skeletons, nor does it atomize any French men. Instead, it is evaded. The detective recovers slowly, the effort of the chop nearly sending him to his knees. But as he rises again, he turns to face what was coming. Jiro. Again. Jiro was not being used as a projectile, to hurl straight into the detective. As the stray is sent hurtling, Daniel Jack throws up his hands, ready to catch the oncoming Jiro.
That's how you dodge in Todoh-Ryuu.
The teenager is swiftly caught. The detective, holding Jiro in his hands, begins to shift his weight instinctively. Transferring the momentum, he begins to pivot, letting the force of the thrown Jiro flow around him, not through him, and back to the ground. Daniel Jack does not catch Jiro. He stands him up, letting him fall upright beside him. Having stopped the assault cold, he stands up his partner, and gives him a grim thumbs up.
"Great job, Jiro!"
"That was a close one!"
Daniel Jack puts a hand on Jiro's shoulder, glaring across at Ash with a rebolden'd resolve. "My homes are either under water, right now, or about to be under molten lava. I got nothing out there, until I fix this!" Daniel Jack pats Jiro on the shoulder with his free hand once. And then moves it to his hips, in a manner that might remind one of suggestive things. A hand on the shoulder. And hand on the hips. And a coy, subtle nod.
And then the grip tightens.
The motion that caught Jiro is reversed, as the detective swings his partner around, lifting his momentum, and building it. Letting the energy flow across his body, he whips his partner around. With a hurl, he flings Jiro straight back at Ash, managing to give him a motivating butt slap before letting him fly.
"Now get back in there!"
"You got him on the ropes!"
This is not Jiro's day. In fact, this is worse than the judging incident. The judging incident at least netted him with a cushy pillow the next day! No. This is a day of humiliation of being used as a volleyball! Tossed from Daniel to Ash, the young man has already been in the works of being a ragdoll.
However, his attempt to punch Ash in the face in defiance is met with harshness. The flamewielder grabs Jiro by his fist, stopping him dead on his tracks. "..Wh---what?!" His eyes widen, and then he looks over to see that Ash has that wicked grin.
"Sh---uggh!"
He is yanked close. Too close for comfort.
As the fingers curl along his chin, Jiro's eyes widen and he looks up at Ash. There is a look of nervousness. "Wh--wh what are you doi---.." So close. Is this going to be the moment that he is kissed by Ash instead of Alma...?
... Jiro is not certain which path is more annoying, truth be told.
Instead, Jiro is grabbed by the belt and is chucked like a fast ball. "FUUUUUUUUUUUU--------"
Jiro is caught. He is caught by Daniel. This comes as a relief, in a strange way, as the force flows him back to keep him from hitting the ground roughly. "...Heh, thanks..."
Turning his head back at Ash, Jiro growls and he mutters, "Okay, we don't quite see eye to eye, but let's just knock the smugness off of this prettyboy's fa---.." The grip tightens.
"What the hel---"
Jiro does not get a word in. Instead, he is whipped around and flung back towards Ash.
"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCKKKK YOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!"
Jiro is growling and he brings his arms crossed together to start releasing X-shaped flames at Ash, and then he starts swinging them all over the place. Jiro is spinning around like a top, trying to hit anything.
Maybe even the Time Sphere.
COMBATSYS: Ash dodges Daniel's Huge Thrown Object.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Ash 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Jiro
> /////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Daniel
COMBATSYS: Ash overcomes Riot Cross from Jiro with Ventose.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Ash 0/-------/-----==|===----\-------\0 Jiro
> /////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Daniel
"C'est des conneries. Casse-toi." Someone has had enough of this farce, especially when it seems that the name of the game is to pitch Jiro around like some doofy oversized baseball. How does that test their resolve? The slender fighter shakes his fair head, rubbing at his temples with the tips of his fingers. The dog boy is loud enough that if Ash COULDN'T react in time, he'd be very concerned. Simply crouching down at his leisure and allowing the kid to soar straight over him, possibly into one of the walls of the chamber, that would be amusing.
But those damn fake-flame cross things are not a good sign, especially when they're heading for the Time Sphere.
The orb itself pulses, the crimson mist denser than ever before. It feeds off the delicious energy that the fight provides, storing it like a battery and growing ever stronger. Glancing at the sphere, Ash's lip curls in disgust. If only the time was right. "Not today," the Frenchman says, and there is an explosion of green all around him, each burning bubble consuming a white cross, then fizzling out harmlessly... except for the ones that seek out Jiro himself, possibly crumpled and caught unaware. "Do me a favour, le petit cabot, and don't try that again. What if you had caused yet another disaster? Haven't enough been sacrificed already, just bringing you back?"
Lazily returning to a standing position, Ash accuses Daniel with a long digit, "For a moment, I thought you were taking this seriously. Have you surrendered so soon? Do you want to stop that man or not? What is the point of all this if you are, ah, 'dicking around' just as much as I am?" The words 'do you want to stop that man or not' seem highlighted, and again the detective will find that he cannot help himself -- he must respond with the truth.
Yet Ash doesn't stop there. No matter what the result, the red-eyed glare continues to pin the detective down and he speaks another question that demands absolute honesty, "I thought your purpose was to assist those who are missing, so why are you allowing yourself to be consumed by petty grievances, losing your focus?" He twirls strands of platinum blonde hair, exhaling harshly, his nostrils flaring. The thin European can't seem to dispell his irritation...
Ash tries again.
Nope.
Frowning, he gestures to the sphere, "Give up, or give me a reason. If you can't take the Time Sphere from me, then find another way to prove that you're worthy, not that you'll be able to keep it for long. 'They' will take it back, eventually." His foot taps against the floor, the sound echoing back. Tilting his head to the side, Ash adds, "The clock is ticking." So wait, this is all terribly confusing. He said he was testing them, which has proved to be unsatisfactory, yet still provides the two with the chance to keep the sphere? Why? Well... WHY THE HELL NOT, it's Ash Crimson, maybe he wants to get out of here and have a baguette, watch some soaps on the television. Anything to screw with Saiki's plans. How would Daniel react if he knew that the man looked almost identical to the blonde flamewielder?
"Dammit Jiro!"
The detective hisses, shaking his fist as his hurled partner is slowed down by that consuming green flame. Daniel was on the ropes. He has been on the ropes for a while, in fact: the only victory at this point would be a moral one. The detective takes a deep breath in, and gritting his teeth, punches a nearby wall.
"Dammit!"
Daniel Jack looks towards Ash, and wincing, brings his arms across his burned chest. Looking towards the blonde-haired warrior, he shakes his head. "I don't care about Saiki. I really only care about the children. The people who are kidnapped. If I never see Saiki, or hear from again, it doesn't matter. He's just a name, a lead. And if he is the cause of all this, then that just tells me who I need to go to in order to bring those people back. It's nothing about him. It's just about those missing people, that missing little girl, who parents want her back."
Daniel swallows hard.
He could feel that ghostly Marz watching him.
He throws up his hands. "I just want to help, and I'll do whatever I can to help. That's my reason. I just want to help save those people. I'm not gonna get anywhere throwing myself at you. I'm backing down." Looking towards his partner, he rolls his eyes, and barks an order. "Jiro! Stop fighting! I'm standing down! It's not worth it anymore."
"It's time for words, not war."
COMBATSYS: Daniel is waiting for something...
> /////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Daniel
COMBATSYS: Ash successfully hits Jiro with Ventose.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > //// ]
Ash 0/-------/---====|=======\-------\1 Jiro
> /////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Daniel
Jiro is growing annoyed with this. The Stray Dog has been used by both Daniel and Ash as a kicking tool. A joke. A means to an annoying joke. Is Daniel even taking his seriously? Is this partner taking this seriously?
As Jiro wants to eliminate the Time Sphere, grows stronger, Jiro looks annoyed as Ash manages to avoid the charge and leaves Jiro smashing to a wall. Jiro is crumbling towards the ground and he starts to twitch. The flames around from Ash consume Jiro, erupting him within the flames as he's lying on the ground.
As he lies on the ground, his eyes more towards both Ash and Daniel in a blurry manner.
----They mean to mock you----
----They mean to make you weak----
----They are no allies---
Gritting his teeth, Jiro is starting to stagger to his feet. The aura around him suddenly shifts and he tightens his grip.
"...Both of you are in my way..."
His eyses grit, revealing the red slit of eyes as his canines protrude. Normally, Jiro has manifested the white flames around him. However...
The flames become instantly black. The darkened black flames, stemmed from the path of hatred have lingered once more. They consume the form as he finally starts bringing his hands down. He is going to blast everything in its path.
"OUT OF MY GOD DAMN WAY!"
Both hands slam towards the ground, releasing the thunderous burst of the black flames to spread like wildfire around him. The flames, in their destructive nature, lash out against both Daniel, Ash, and likely the Time Sphere.
However, that burst as ends pre-maturely before he collapses from his beaten exhaustion.
COMBATSYS: Jiro can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Ash 0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0 Daniel
COMBATSYS: Ash dodges Jiro's Fury Unleashed.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Ash 0/-------/---====|=------\-------\0 Daniel
It's difficult to tell, whether Ash had felt tense or relaxed. At least his frosty expression transforms, a mysterious smile winding its way across his thin lips. The hair-play continues, tickling at his burned cheek. "Saa, that's more like it," says the flamewielder, the strange glow fading from blue eyes. He would much rather talk than fight a pointless, dull fight. The combined might of these two has failed to keep him entertained, this time. Perhaps there will be another opportunity, maybe not.
As much as he hopes the Stray Dog possesses half a brain and will show some restraint, some willingness to negotiate, there is little room in that head for more than 'PUNCH IT UNTIL IT STOPS MOVING' and 'WHAT IS THE WORST I COULD DO AT THIS EXACT MOMENT TO RUIN ALL THE THINGS'. The air stirs, Ash glancing back over his shoulder, eyeing dog boy critically when he staggers to his feet. "You..." The Frenchman starts to say, but he is cut off by a shout and is actually shocked into maintaining his silence. Black flames crack the floor, dust and chipped bits of obsidian thrown into the air. Out of pure instinct, the nimble European leaps to safety... and realizes his mistake in saving himself.
"Merde!" Ash has forgotten that he can 'teleport', forgotten that his bloodline flames could easily consume a fake's. He races against the black chi, but reaches the sphere one second too late. Throwing his thin frame against it, the mist seeping out from under him through a crack in its shell. The room gradually grows darker, crimson tendrils clawing their way up to the blackened ceiling. The fey fighter watches, his jaw dropping, freckled face almost as pale as his hair. "Fool!"
Sparing one look at Daniel, Ash recedes from view, consumed by green flames. He leaves behind the oozing orb, more of its energy lost. The chamber shudders, cracks crawl along the walls like veins. The ceiling bears down on them from above. This impossible place is ceasing to exist, as though it was sustained by the European's presence alone.
Looking up at the Notre Dame Cathedral from the outside, arms behind his head, Ash wonders if the two had managed to escape, and he walks away giggling to himself.
"Just as planned."
COMBATSYS: Ash has left the fight here.
> /////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Daniel
COMBATSYS: Daniel dodges Jiro's Fury Unleashed.
> /////////// ]
|=------\-------\0 Daniel
"Dammit Jiro!'
Those were the words that come from Daniel's mouth. He almost had Ash in his pocket. But Jiro had to go and be ANGRY about being thrown around. Ash himself winks away in green flame. But he caught his face. He caught his eyes. He could teleport away. But Daniel couldn't.
But Daniel didn't need to.
The detective focuses down into the flames. He could feel them, his naked chest could already sense the oncoming searing that was rushing upon him. He inhales. He exhales. The unease that filled the room was subduing now. It was recoiling. And in its place, was two energies. Jiro's force. And Daniel's own spirit. He closes his eyes.
And he erupts into orange light.
Body burning with chi, he brings his hands forward. Using his own aura as a buffer, he meets the oncoming white flame with focus. Concentration. He had to control the fire, to focus it. Just like with a Kasane Ate. The fire begins to become guides, as the Student of Todoh guides the flames aside, guiding it like a wayward blow. The fires splits apart, leaving Daniel untouched. The flames finally die out, and Daniel Jack stands tall, arms crossed.
"Sorry Jiro, but Mimiru wants to see you. And well, easier to move a sleeping dog than a mad one." Did the detective has his own plans? Whatever those were, he looks towards Ash. He frowns hard. He knows that look. He knows that words of French. As Jiro hits the ground, he looks at the sphere, and rushes to it, hopping over his downed partner. He grabs the Sphere, as the room begins to twists and decay. "Oh crap. Oh crap!" He begins, as he looks around, lugging the broken sphere.
And then he looks to the downed Jiro.
"No, no I'm not. I'm not gonna. I can't. I have to save those people." He tries to pick up Jiro with his other arm, with the sphere in the other hand. He takes a step, and nearly drops the sphere. Instead, he drops the Jiro. He bends down to pick up Jiro again. With desperate eyes, he looks up at the way out of the black room. The way out was distorting, flicking out of existence. He could carry the sphere. He could carry Jiro.
No.
There wasn't enough time.
Daniel Jack looks at the cracked sphere, the time energies flowing over his skin, distorting it. He looks at the unconscious Jiro in the other arm. He shuts his eyes tight. He had a choice here. He could either save Jiro, or save the broken Time Sphere. If he saved the damaged Time Sphere, he might be able to save those missing people. But Jiro... Jiro was gone. And if he saved Jiro... well was this even the real Jiro? Jiro. or the Time sphere. Daniel Jack takes a deep breath. And he makes his choice.
"I can't believe you attacked me, you asshole."
Daniel drops the Time Sphere. With a heave, he throws Jiro across his shoulders into a fireman's carry. Without the extra weight of the ball, he is able to rush throug the tunnel opening. The narrow catacombs is fluxing, the passageway behind him sealing up tightly. The detective runs, body burning, legs aching. Sliding down a hill, the slide turns into a fall as it suddenly turns vertical. Leaning into the wall, he hits the bottom with a crack. Something broke.
That wasn't going to slow him down.
Forcing through the pain with sheer resolve, he runs. The tunnel was tightening now. In the distance, he could see the light of the cathdral. It was narrowing. The walls were closing in, Daniel limps forward, biting down the pain. Sweat poured from his brow, as the skull-lined catacomb begins to crush against him, Turning his body aside, he rips his hands across the skulls, pulling himself along. Groping ahead, leg broken, he gasps. With a last effort, he hurls himself through the opening of the cathdral. He and Jiro collapse on the floor, as the door behind them seals with a sickening crunch.
They made it.
Daniel Jack slowly stands up. He definately broke his leg. But he was alive. And so was Jiro. Standing about his partner, he looks down. And he sighs. "You better have been worth it." He growls, giving Jiro a light kick with his bad leg. He winces harshly, before dipping down. With another heave, he carries Jiro over his shoulder again. And gradually, he limps away.
He had a special delivery to bring a special young lady.
COMBATSYS: Daniel has ended the fight here.
Log created on 22:49:55 08/28/2014 by Ash, and last modified on 17:49:32 10/06/2014.