Summary:Hanako answers the call of a mutant in distress, only to be greeted by something far out of her league… Log Info:Storyteller: Ford Benett |
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The Lower East Side is quiet this time of night. For being so close to Mutant Town and the Disaster Zone, it's remarkably peaceful. No dangers, no villains, nothing really out of the ordinary. Save for a woman running down the street. She looks frightened by something, continuously looking behind her as she ran, or at the very least spooked. Judging from her bright green hair, her pale skin, and the bony bladed protrusions coming from her wrists, it was likely she was a mutant, probably trying to head back to the safety of home.
After a few moment more of running, she stopped at the street corner, panting a bit as she leaned against the light signal. But not for long. She picked up the pace, rounding the corner… and after another moment or two, a shriek pierced the quiet of the night, alerting all nearby that clearly, whatever had been chasing her had caught up somehow.
To any responding to the scene, they'll find the woman unconscious, being dragged just out of sight into a nearby alleyway…
Mutant town and the disaster zone weren't the first places one should be wandering alone most of the time at night, or at least that was what Hanako's guide had told her hen she'd first come to the city. Certainly, such views had probably been tinged by racism against mutants as much as the practical warnings to any young woman's nocturnal wandering. Even so, her visit and meeting with Emma Frost had lingered longer and thus Hanako had still been making her way back when the scream had caught her ear.
Newbie or not to this game of heroics, it was a pretty clear indicator that something was very very wrong! Dropping her bag that still contained her clothing from rehearsal, Hanako's eyes catch sight of that figure being pulled out of sight at the end of the street and she gives a sharp inhale. There was still time to save someone, she just needed to act fast!
There was a flare of light, blinding enough that she was little more than a silhouette and clearly intense enough to scorch the concrete beneath her, but the 'rushed' change had the young ballerina looking normal in one step, and then the empowered woman wrapped in the armored 'combat skirt' of black and red with arcane energy crackling between her fingertips as she rounded the corner.
***
Rounding the corner and into the alleyway, Hanako arrives in time to see the young mutant's pursuer standing over his quarry, resting her against the wall and clearly about to hoist her over his shoulder. However, her arrival made him stop, glancing back at her from the darkness with glowing yellow eyes. He steadily lowered his prey back down, before standing up and striding forward to a better line of sight.
The attacker could certainly be described as devilishly handsome. Fair, rugged features, toned arms, broad chest, short, messy black hair, and of course, those piercing yellow eyes. Plastered across his face was a confident grin, as he placed his hands on his hips. "I'll be damned… I mean, I am, but you know what I mean. Of all things to come across in this city, a shrine maiden was not on that list… not that it isn't welcome."
He strode forward a little more, eyes drinking in his opponent. "And she's a dish for the eyes to boot… I can smell the holy magic on you. What brings a treat like you this way, sweetheart?"
***
Whatever she'd expected, this probably wasn't it. A monster perhaps, or at least someone with a little more panic to having been caught. After the fight in the park and recent encounters, Hanako had seen some strange things, but this was certainly different…
The energy around her hands swells, defencively flaring to protect her from the unknown as she takes a step back. "What are you doing?" she speaks, lifting a hand upwards with palms raised between the pair of them. "Step away from that woman or else!"
It was at best, her attempt at being intimidating. Hopefully, this was going to be assisted a little by all the swirling, angry magic about her.
***
The yellow eyes of Hanako's aggresor snap to the magic swirling at her palms, before smiling a toothy grin. "Oooooohohoho, so you do have some magic about you. So do I. Wanna see?" The young man raised his hands and quickly made a few hand gestures with them, before mimicking Hanako's own motions, holding his palms up as magical energy formed in response. However, in contrast to Hanako's, his was pitch black with swirls of dark purple about them.
"Uh, kidnapping? I believe that's the technical term for it. Back in the day, we just called it 'taking what's ours'. The professor just said to bring him mutants. Left the selection to me. And I always did favor the ladies, so, why not, yeah?" Whoever this guy was, clearly the prospect of dangerous magic didn't phase him too much. "But I can spare a bit of time to play, if you'd like. You'll have to forgive me if I'm a touch rusty. Been a while since I've actually dealt with a shrine maiden, much less one who uses magic."
***
Her raising palms had been more of an instinctual 'back up' body language rather than a brandishing of a threat. Still, that changes awfully quick when she witnesses the pitch darkness of the young man's own brandishing. Okay. Wow. This was the real deal!
"You're going to back off or I'm going to punish you!" she warns, perhaps a little corny, but she didn't exactly have a guide book on how to do this thing. "Flee this place, leave this girl or I'll destroy you!"
A step forward, a soft inhale of breath. She was fine, right? All this strength and magic flowing through her? She should be okay…
***
"…ohohohoho, man. This is gonna be fun~" The young man responded, smirking and stepping back. His energy swirled, before it started to grow agitated, and began to mimic pitch black flames in his hands as he lowered them to his sides. "You're new at this, aren't you? No hand gestures to ward your spells. No chiji-jurai channeling gauntlets, or hakuta around your neck. Do you even know how to sling those spells? I'll give you credit, though… you must be channeling a lot of power to get it working like that. Effective, but not terribly elegant. Like trying to hit a nail with a club. Yeah, it works, but, it's overkill."
He chuckled a bit, shaking his head. "Tell you what. I'll go easy on you, since you're new at this. Gotta baste the meat a little~" He inhaled a bit, holding out his hands as if inviting Hanako to take the first shot. "You make call me Kido, but the way. One 'D', if you please. It's Kido, not kiddo. Don't know how many non-native speakers get that wrong… now, sweetheart, show me what you've got."
***
Great, now she was being lectured. Hanako's fingers clench a little, earning a little narrow of her eyes. There was no serene calm or unphazed serenity across her face, the young woman wasn't some classical 'miko' or the idealized version of some superhero. She was a young woman angry with what she was seeing.
If he wanted her to take a quick 'first shot'? She wasn't going to disappoint. Of course, she couldn't really go blasting the alleyway with all that power if she didn't want to harm the unconcious mutant…or take out a whole building beside them. So what to do?
All that energy? It siphons inwards, twisting and shaping into a spear of energy, a 'holy' weapon she surges forward with and attempts to plunge into the heart of the apparent 'demon'.
***
As Hanako revs up to strike at her opponent, Kido seems… oddly content with what he's got coming to in. In fact, the closer she gets, the more he seems disturbingly eager for this to happen. As if he's relishing the incoming pain. And when it does, Hanako strikes true! Although she can hear an almost inaudible "clink" as her dagger finds its mark. Right where his heart should be, and certainly deep enough to draw blood.
Kido stumbled back, freeing himself from Hanako's attack and clutching his chest, panting a bit. But when he looked back up at her, his expression was… pleased? Distressingly so? "Ooooooooh, it has been far too long. Too long since I faced off with my homeland's magic. I missed that taste of pain… you'd think it would burn, you know? Holy fury and all that? Actually, quite cold. It would actually be soothing if it didn't hurt sooooo much~" Standing up, Hanako can see her wound had definitely left a dent… but as if in defiance of her attack, it was already closing back up, though still fairly bloody. "Good, good. You've got potential. Good. I want that. Been too long since I had a lady give me such pain… so, my turn, right?"
Flashing his hands at Hanako, a pair of black and purple snakes suddenly sprang forth from his palms, swimming through the air and looking to latch themselves onto Hanako's arms.
***
Snakes! Damn magical snakes! Hanako's eyes actually widen at how disturbingly thrilled Kido was with her damage to him, but they're wider still when the attack comes back her way and that spear immediately loses form in her semi-paniced defense. Light surges, arcane volatage crackles through the air as she lifts her hands in front of her face and a 'bubble' of defencive magics springs up to shield her.
It was solid, some of the most solid things she could manage, but such a total shift from offense to defense? It did leave her options a little more limited!
***
Hanako forms her defensive bubble around her just in time. The snakes tear and snear their fangs at her shield, bouncing desperately multiple times to try and penetrate it, each attempt glancing off before finally retreating to their master. Kido smirked and nodded. "Good, good reaction time. Very nice. You show promise. I like that. Now be an amiable little lady and show me more~"
The black fire that had conjured the snakes wreathed upwards onto his arms, before he crouched and charged forward. Winding back, Kido began to unleash a barrage of physical blows, likely backed up by his magic, each one crashing hard into her shield. His intent was plain: he was going to shatter that shield, and with the amount of unholy force he's putting into each blow, he very well might do it!
***
Backing up, -slowly- with each step, with each heavy impact against her barrier that was indeed causing strain. Kido had been more apt then he knew in the assessment, she was a powerhouse with no real instruction on channeling things efficiently, she couldn't keep this up forever…but she certainly held his attention. If she could just draw him further away, keep him focused on her, the mutant woman he'd tried to kidnap could escape.
Of course, she had to last long enough for that plan!
The barrier was already showing glowing cracks, unobscurable proof it was failing, but as he winds back for the blow that may well have broken through? It simply -detonates- outwards, a wave of violently released magic flaring outwards in all directions. Maybe it would hurt him, maybe it would distract him, but either way Hanako surged forward behind it, her own fist offering its juxtaposed mirror of flame as she lept high and tried to -slug- the demon clear across the jaw.
***
Kido smirked, watching Hanako's shield crumble under his onslaught, making him push all the harder to see her defenses shattered. But lucky for Hanako, he seemed a bit too focused on his delight to realize her plan. It caught him offguard, sending him reeling back and growling a bit. However, as Hanako's own fist reached up to slug him, without even looking, Kido's shrouded hand reached up and caught hers, holding her with astounding grip. No matter how she struggled, Hanako would find his grasp impossible to escape.
His gaze finally found hers, smiling widely. "Now that was clever. I'll grant you that. As I was hoping, you have magnificent potential. But I'm afraid you are centuries out of step with me. And I'm afraid my time to play is up. Not that I don't love the professor's consternation, but we are on a time table. And we have so many filthy little mutants to catch." In one fell swoop, Kido brought Hanako about to slam her violently into a nearby wall, then smash her into the ground, before finally tossing her brusequely back towards the street.
***
Crap. Hanako had gained a moment, but it wasn't quite a moment long enough! His words, his warning about mutants has her narrowing her eyes as they met that yellow, energy begining to surround her as she intended to try that same 'outburst' trick she'd pulled off in the park to electrocute the demon that was grasping her….then her feet were in the air as she was swung into the wall, knocking the window out of her. Her brace against the ground brought a shower of sparks and a bulging inwards of the concrete as she managed to at least stop herself from 'ragdolling' before she was tossed backwards through the air.
With her form skidding along the sidewalk there's actually a shower of sparks from her passive barrier before she rolled to her feet with a grunt of effort and a growl.
Out of step or not, she wasn't giving up the chase just yet.
***
"You're persistent, I'll grant you that. But your kami no tate - your divine shield - won't protect you from everything I can do. Turn around and leave, or else I'll have to start getting serious." Kido smirked as he raised his hands into another series of gestures. All a once, the ground around him erupted in sharpened bamboo chutes, forming a defensive wall of spikes between him and Hanako… and, unfortunately, Kido's quarry, still knocked out, unaware of the battle raging beside her.
"What's it matter to you if one mutant girl goes missing? It's not like I'm killing her (…too merciful, if you ask me). And this city is chock full of them. If you want one of your own, there are plenty right down the street."
***
Flash, a streak of light and those chutes were about half as tall. In Hanako's hand, a single-handed sword of that same energy hummed and crackled as it took shape and she sprang forwards. Warnings of her own depleting energy aside, the young heroine was stubborn. She didn't have to win, she just had to make herself enough of a hassle that 'Kido' fled. Of course she'd heard he had more 'in the tank' but she wasn't intending on giving him time to bring it to bare;
Instead she swung, sliced, stabbed and struck with impressive fury for one her size dressed as she was. No banter, no words, just grunts of effort and shouts of defiance.
***
As Hanako came forward, chutes of bamboo lanced out from the ground towards her, but luckily for Hanako, her sword swings were on point enough that she cut through the retaliation, and the ones she didn't, thankfully, glanced off the side, just missing enough to protect her. Kido sighed, clearly displeased with no responses. Not angry, just… disappointed. Holding one arm behind his back, he huffed and held out his other hand, the black fire forming into a weapon of his own - a spiked club, a kanabo, at the ready just as Hanako reached him.
One armed as he was, he blocked the first swing, and then the next, and the next, and the one after that. His form was astoundingly precise for such a lengthy club, keeping up a perfect defense as each swing from Hanako, every sword strike glancing off the heavy weapon. "I suppose I should expect it from a shrine maiden. You are made to guard against our kind. So let me ask you something: do you believe everyone deserves justice?"
***
"The innocent do!" she speaks, clearly baited by his question even as she continued raining down strikes on the defense the Kanabo offered 'Kido'. "Noone deserves to be hauled off by some demon to some 'professor' for who-knows-what!"
She was eager, talented, but hardly a swordmaster, still the 'magical girl' kept up the attack. "What do you even care about justice?"
***
Hanako's question wipes the smile off of Kido's face for a moment. His yellow eyes stared cold and hard at Hanako as he blocked her latest strike, only to twist his kanabo and manuever it to the ground, pinning it and staring harshly back at her. Gone was any semblence of the man she had been talking to, and for a moment, despite his disguise, the monster underneath showed through.
"Because what I have planned IS justice."
Letting go of her blade, Kido's attacks are now far faster than what he was showing previously. He had switched from the defensive to the offensive, striking just fast enough for Hanako to keep up, steadily pushing her back as he advanced on her. "For once, I will be getting what I am due. I will get the justice my family is owed. And no mutant, nor shrine maiden, will stop me." At that, he struck hard, his attack clearly telegraphed. He had ditched any subterfuge and was going to send her flying back once more, this time with the intent of putting her down and out of the fight. "I will see mutants pay for what they did to me and mine!!!"
***
Sure enough, she's stepping back with the blows raining down on her now. With the sudden savage surge damn near overwhelming her, she -does- manage to avoid the strike telegraphed so. She was sweating, slowing and the magic around her was dimmer…but she was fighting on as she speaks.
"You can't punish all for the actions of a few!" she protests, kicking out to try and knock him back before he can do the same. "I won't let you just rampage!"
***
"Why not? They have always done so with my kind. My mother was not even a demon, yet they hunted her down like she was less than dirt. This is no different." Kido seemed thoroughly dispassionate in his response. Matter of fact. Clear cut. It was evident his mind was made up… and as Hanako's leg came up to strike him, he caught it with his other hand, humming and shaking his head. "You have no choice in the matter. You are thoroughly outmatched… and soon enough, with the professor's work, my justice will be complete. Not you, nor any ally you muster will be able to stop me… not that you aren't welcome to try."
Tightening his grip on Hanako's leg, he huffed and shoved her backwards towards the ground unceremoniously once again, before dispersing his magic black club, turning to his knocked out quarry and hoisting her over his shoulder. "Your kami no tate should be just about out now… do me a favor: don't get back up. I hate bringing harm to a lovely lady. Last chance…" Kido warned, before both he and his prey began to turn translucent and vanish from sight…