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 Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 9:42 pm
{{Just sitting on the side lines folks. After all ya'll complain I am never around might as well get involved or at leats be around for something.}}
The snow drifted with that ever soft touch it always had, glass falling from the sky in small tiny little particles. It was like playing with something so beautiful you had to touch it but doing so would break it, a temptation.
The same could be said for Kenotao, he was so intrigued by dangerous things that would eventually destroy him, did he not know that to defeat someone like this boy your mind set had to be in……disturbia.
How had he gotten there and when was no matter for the 269 pound beast moved like a ghost amongst trees, nature was his playing field and none knew it better then the age old Devil of the Mountain. He sat lazily inside a tree on the lowest branch a few good meters from jade’s location and watched with a careful eye as this child bested Kenotao.
His knee propped up slightly as his other hanged loosely from the branch and his eyes drifting from jade to Deity to the fight. Things were peculiar but Samayou knew some what of what was going on. These people were not human and wanted Keno’s head, that much he knew but the story behind the boy was foreign, regardless Jade was in danger and thus he would always be willing to aid.
For now the game was simple let the demons of Keno’s past deal with Keno and so the large black Devil would remain silent and watch from the side lines…waiting for his cue from Kenotao to involve himself. He wore only his black ragged pants and feet wraps, after all he had been training with the boulder when the energy levels spiked and the emotional wavelength went crazy. His lack of clothing was fine though he loved the brisk cold air.
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Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2009 9:28 pm
On and on the two fought, and Keno grew no closer to victory. Quite the contrary, he was getting angrier with each failed round and with his anger came greater hostility and more aggression. Mani failed to help matters by refusing to get caught and exposing as many as Keno's mistakes as possible. Whenever Keno opened himself up, Mani pointed it out with a touch, a tap, or a jab, and always a slap to the back of Keno's head as though to say, 'You fool! I could have killed you just now.' That didn't help matters one bit.
Keno moved faster than his legs could carry him, leaving him off balance after he swiped madly at Mani, who practically slid through him and scored his back with those filthy nails. He could feel the new cuts burning his back as a playful push to the head sent him stumbling toward a tree, but he whipped around trying to return the favor in vain, leaving himself groaning in pain as his ribs shifted and his newly exposed flesh met bark.
Despite the cold, Keno had worked himself into a sweat. Bittersweet it was as it warded off the cold, but matted his hair to his forehead and brow which made his eyes itch. If that wasn't bad enough, the dirt in his hair began to mix with sweat on his scalp and run down his face. Not wiping his eyes was hard to do, and whenever he tried, he usually ended up taking something to the gut.
Why was his body working against him?
He only got up because he was too stubborn to stay down. Mani would likely attack if Keno intentionally remained idle, so thinking up a new plan would be near impossible. His hands were full. Well, his good one was. His left arm hung limp and lame and not exactly straight. Every time he moved he felt discomfort, but there was nothing he could do about it but hope Mani messed up royally.
That chances of that were slim.
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Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2009 10:27 pm
Through a tree this time. Not into, but through, and he landed hard on his left arm. The bone was trying to break through his forearm and it was all he could do not to scream. How totally, incomparably painful.
It took a lot longer to get up that time. He had no encouragement to do so anymore. All that was waiting for him was another bruise, another cut, another reminder of his fractured ribs. Was luck keeping him alive, or misfortune? His breathing was far too labored and he could only get shallow intakes of air at a time. His mind got as hazy as his vision, and he couldn't stand or think straight. How had he taken so thorough a beating? What was that promise he made? When was dinner? Who is...Batman? Most importantly...
"Why am I still alive?"
The question bothered him even in the state he was in. He asked Mani sincerely, his eyes very sober, the flame snuffed out behind them as the haze crept in. Mani stared at him with the same silent rage, vanished, and a blow to the face sent him through yet another tree. As though he expected an answer instead, he didn't even try to guard himself that time. When he landed, a surge of something rushed through him, but he didn't think it was pain. It didn't hurt like pain.
Same routine; he rolled to his right and pushed himself up on his good arm, returning to his feet. What the hell was he thinking? Questions had no place in this fight. Mani charged sooner than he thought, but he wheeled around in time to see a flash of light growing before his eyes. He lept over the ki ball, but didn't have time to plant himself before his feet were swept from beneath him. Both of Mani's knees struck his abdomen before he landed and an audible crack told him his ribs were no longer just fractured. The taste of blood filled his mouth, but had nowhere to go but back down thanks to his mask. He choked on it as it emptied into his stomach.
Again he rose, still coughing, eyes blazing with indignation and disorientation. That hurt. A lot. Wasn't this supposed to be a duel to the death? He stepped towards Mani, but his freshly broken ribs froze him in his tracks. Practically immobile now, how was he supposed to move? He didn't know right away, but he would manage.
Mani began with another ki blast, which Keno quickly smacked away. Knowing the kid's general pattern, he didn't bother watching for the specific attack when he lept backwards, only to have himself stopped by the tree he didn't know was there. With no other choice, he went right - going left meant possible punctures to vital organs. Fate was clearly against him, he thought, when his left foot snagged a root, sending him head over heels. He spun midair in order to land on his shoulders, but Mani had appeared from who-knew-where and took a nice, vicious bite out of his right ankle, ripping fabric and flesh alike.
It was too much to expect him to scream in such pain. Alternatively, he clenched his jaw and groaned horribly as his eyes shut so tight one would wonder how he managed them open again. He took sharp breaths through his teeth as though it would reduce the pain, but it didn't. Pain was his world now and the grim, bitter truth settled in. He was now virtually unable to move. Sure, he could fly just fine, but there was no outrunning this bat s**t kid. Besides, Jade would die even if he did somehow manage to evade Mani. All roads led to a dead end.
No, that's not right. How could that be? There was always a way out. After all, he was still alive when he definitely should have been dead by now. Why was he still alive if there was no way out?
"You better hold on to this moment." His voice had deepened since the last time. It wasn't fully developed yet, but he sounded like most kids his age; the same, but different. Keno opened his eyes and met Mani's gaze - or at least the general direction of Mani's gaze. He was in too much pain to convey how much he hated the boy for all of this.
"I want you to die knowing that your suffering is only a fraction of what I've been through." Keno noticed how raw he sounded. Had he really been silent for two years? Were these really the first words spoken since Jagan died? His voice was raspy enough to belong to someone who didn't speak very often or perhaps spoke too much.
Keno continued glaring at the boy, or trying to anyway. It was harder for him to breathe as the mask grew more stifling by the second. He didn't move.
"Do you hate me? If not, I can make you suffer more before I kill you. I want you to savor every bitter moment before you die. I want you to hate me as much as I hate you." He barely got the sentence out before he began laughing, his voice cracking, sounding as juvenile as Keno remembered. Even when laughing the boy sounded insane, Keno thought to himself. It was just creepy.
"I guess that's impossible though. Jagan was like a brother to me after all, but you're an orphan and an only child. You'll never know what it's like for a family member to die."
...wait what?
Keno's eyes widened, all pain forgotten, and narrowed. If he wasn't convinced before, he knew then just how insane Mani was. Did 97 arbitrarily choose Jade as a hostage just because she happened to be with him at the time? Were the files on Keno rewritten or was Mani speculating about his family tree? How could the people responsible for killing Thorn just strike her off the record like that? Furthermore, how could they not think that maybe that information was somehow important?
"It doesn't matter though, because you're going to die now, and everyone will be happier when you do."
An ominous light flashed out of Mani's right hand, directed at Keno, signaling the abrasive wave of energy that would scour him out of existence. Right before Mani fired though, something rather incredible happened. It was unexpected and terrible, and had Mani lying on the ground, stunned in the snow, the front of his shirt scorched with only falling snow flakes to put out the cinders. A spike of energy from somewhere nearby rose suddenly and dramatically soon after, but we get ahead of ourselves. What had happened, what had allowed Keno a few extra painless moments and delivered Mani his second painful moment of the morning, was exciting, confusing, unexpected, unprecedented, and in certain degrees, a little funny. Although I could narrate it quite easily, I'll simply quote Keno, who uttered a cry at the very moment it happened; the cry of a master warrior of legend.
"SHO-RYU-REPPAAA~!"
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2009 6:49 pm
::Deity was presented with a dilemma.
Jade knew he was there - it was only seconds prior, but his arrival preceded her current state of unconsciousness. If KenoTao were to die and both Deity and Jade were to get out of this instance unharmed - whether immediately or someday down the road - it would cross Jade's mind that Deity could have helped. He could've done something to prevent the tiger's death.
And yet, he thought to himself, watching the man get mauled by the boy. He didn't want to help. Perhaps part of him wanted to - albeit a small part - as he was at least questioning his own judgement on the matter. True indifference would've left him without a second thought, and here he was thoroughly contemplating the situation. Deity did not wish death on KenoTao, no. But he did not care if he lived or died. If he died, the tiger would likely never enter the Orinian's thoughts again.
The dilemma in question was not whether or not Deity could live with not helping and quite possibly playing a part in Keno's death. The dilemma in question was whether or not Jade could live it. Keno deserved to die and Deity had no qualms with letting it happen, but Jade might. She might miss the b*****d.::
...d-damnit.
::The boy murmured to himself as he rose from his selected treebranch, his lanky frame held up parallel to the trunk by his extended left hand. Keno was about to be killed, and it seemed as though he didn't have another trick up his sleeve. He passed a glance upwards to the other two warriors above, holding Jade, before looking down at the child. The choice was made - he'd have to help. Help, or think of a brilliant lie to tell his beloved. So, help.
He was a hairsbreadth away from his initial leap with the shout shook the forest and the little boy went down. Deity paused, any intentions to attack clearly gone. He just paused and watched. What the balls, he asked, perplexed. What just happened?::
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The Fierce Deity Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2009 9:41 pm
{{I assume Jade is out cold so she won't be posting anything, meaning my turn.}}
This was going to hell in a hand basket real fast!
Keno was being shoved around like he was a toy and for some reason was refusing to unleash himself as a whole on the boy. He was thinking to logical, to calculated and in that mind set he would never be able to stay alive let alone win. The emotional wavelengths of the others was odd, from the two strangers their auras were bleeding a dark blue, satisfaction. From Deity the story was different, very VERY different. Sama threw a small glance Deity’s way as he contemplated the emotional stress on the Orianian. He was content with keno’s current predicament and this seemed odd considering keno and Jade’s relationship. He could sense Deity contemplating on the idea of helping and sorry to say it this old devil was not gonna wait for the young little p***k to make up his mind.
Samayou would be damned if he was going to stand by and let a friend die, damned to every corner of hell there was and back again.
His energy level spiked slightly as he shoved himself from the tree and fell with the grace of a rockslide. Landing with a massive thud that shook the earth slightly around him and caused the snow from the tree to collapse. It fell on his rough shoulders like a blanket and caressed his thick large muscles as his lips curled back into a snarl, ready to go animal any moment. Just then something spiked and as the Devil clenched his fists Kenotao finally snapped his s**t together and responded in a violent manner towards his attacker. A smirk on his face as he switched his glare from keno, to jade’s Captor to Deity.
To Jade’s Captor his blank pale eyes held the anger of a wild lion easily it was clear that if this thing hurt her in any way any further he would rip the androids body to tiny bolts and cogs.
To Deity his gaze was one of displeasure and disappointment, partly because of his unwillingness to aid and partly because Deity had more then enough right to not act upon the situation. The situation entirly annoyed him and thus caused blind rage for him to use as fuel, he would deal with it later.
To Kenotao his glance was one of relief and following it a twisted smile and a small comment that would resonate in Keno’s mind.
“Bout time you little b*****d, what where you waiting for an invitation!?”
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Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2009 10:12 pm
<>
For a moment, the tables had turned and Mani was lying on his back while Keno stood before him. In a single flash, the boy went from dominating the match to completely bewildered and winded. His plain T-shirt was now a thin, sleeved vest hanging off of his back, and a giant hole replaced the cotton over his torso and exposed his bare chest. His head still rang from the triple uppercut and his eyes tried to adjust, but that was okay. Keno waited.
While he waited, he drew out as much of his energy as he could, which was easier for him than most since he didn't have to transform or ascend to do it. His hair defied gravity as more power built up within him, which led to the inevitable glow of his orange aura that was hot enough to turn the snow at his feet directly into steam. The flame around his body grew larger and brighter and the diameter of dehydrated grass and charred wood lengthened. Eventually, the flame died and was replaced by sparks of electricity, which cracked off of his body irregularly. No one could deny his presence now, but it wasn't something to fear unless you were Mani.
Speaking of, the boy was still too shocked to be much of anything else. How was Keno standing? Not even two minutes ago, his ankle didn't even exist. Mani could still taste the flesh and blood on his tongue, and yet he was standing without limping even a little. There was no way such a thing should be possible. That single fact distracted the wolf cub from the fact that most all of Keno's minor wounds had already healed. Even the bruise on his shoulder began to lighten as the horrible slash across his back inched steadily out of existence. Where there was once blood in his still open wounds, there was instead something like iron clogging up the cuts and gashes. All of this he would realize later, along with various other aspects of Keno's previous condition that he had taken for granted.
"Perhaps you can answer my question now," Keno said with a voice muffled by his mask and his right hand which hovered over it. He bunched the material between his fingers and ripped it clean off, throwing it to the ground and revealing a mouth and nose covered in dried blood. His blood. The same blood around Mani's mouth. The same blood he had trouble breathing through. And he was smiling while his eyes did something bordering demonic and turned solid orange, like his aura. Not just the irises, but both eyes completely and they continued to burn with the same passion Keno was usually known for. Wild smile, wild hair, wild eyes; he looked much like his old self in all his unpredictable glory. It made the haggard Mani appear sane by comparison. Dirty, but sane. "Why am I still alive?"
The boy finally collected himself and got back on his feet, shaking off the last few lingering effect of dizziness. Even this was a feint, and he took off in the blink of an eye, but was on his knees clutching the crown of his head before he knew what was what. By Keno's count that was three - or five depending on how you counted. Number four was waiting and Keno took initiative; the first ki attack that was both concussive and thermal. The explosion felt rather nice as the blast of hot air washed over him. So what if he missed? He knew he would.
So he spun and ducked under a kick never intended to hit him. He pretended he wanted to grab someone too fast to catch and mule kicked at the same person who made to punch him in the back of the neck. He staged a fall due to lack of balance and rolled away from a boot stomp to the face - even though Mani wasn't wearing boots - before launching himself from his right arm to both feet, not wincing or limping that time either. Right after, he rotated clockwise and delivered a left roundhouse kick to thin air, despite the lifelessness of the accompanying arm. As his foot planted itself in the snow, that same numb, useless arm regained sensation and movement and rose to catch a right hook to the face.
Mani was dumbstruck and soon struck dumb when Keno's head collided with the bridge of his nose. If one had to guess, he probably thought something along the lines of 'I thought I broke that - Ow!' He was getting dizzy after the third - or fifth - blow to the head, but he was able to recover quickly and moved to retaliate with a left punch, but Keno dodged it with a simple side step like it was nothing. Why was he so much faster all of a sudden? Maybe it was just his imagi-
His train of thought was derailed when Keno boxed his ears. He spun around angrily, but no one was there. Left and right he looked and saw nothing. He searched the ground for tracks, but there weren't any. Confused, the boy turned to more primitive, perhaps more effective means of tracking. Keno's scent was one of only a few Mani recognized out here, and was likely the only one worth noting in the immediate area. He found his prey, almost instantly, standing right behind him.
"Why am I still alive?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 5:43 am
{{Ah, I knew Mani was something along the lines of Keno but I figured from your posts both of the other two were andriods or at leats one of them. My bad, ignore the bolts and cogs part then. XD.
I thought it was a rather clever insult too but alas, leats soemone is reading my posts.^^}}
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Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 7:15 am
<>
The one-sided battle was no more and, all things considered, was fairly balanced. Mani and Keno refused to pull punches, but whereas one was gifted with speed and power, the other had experience and the concept of pulling punches meant something entirely different to both of them. Chaos ensued as both tried to assert dominance over each other and failed, refusing to be overwhelmed by one another's offense. The weight of the falling snow around them only magnified as the battle wore on, the rapid movement of both fighters shaking branches and kicking up the fresh powder previously undisturbed on the ground. Most of the forest was otherwise undisturbed, but even the trees were taking casualties.
Mani finally discovered that Keno's broken ribs appeared to be healed. That or he was freakishly immune to pain all of a sudden. Keno was delighted at the opportunity to exploit the boy's ignorance, as both guesses were half wrong at best. He let the boy try to gain the upper hand by opening up his left side for an attack, but no sooner did Mani move in than Keno shot a swift clip to the boy's throat. The boy fell back rubbing his adam's apple as Keno continued grinning like a crazed beast. Were his ribs still broken, the paralysis from opening himself up or taking the hit would have ended him. That was not the case, however.
His eyes continued their eerie glow and the sparks continued to crack off of his body, though less frequently as the excess power was being expelled. Most people saw sparks and thought of danger, but Keno knew it was only getting at Mani, provoking the boy to move faster and hit harder, which, in fact, he tried at that very moment. He abandoned his earlier method of attack and moved straight in with a right hook that connected, but Keno ducked and spun under the left, crashing the back of his skull into Mani's mouth. Aside from cutting the inside of his upper lip, the attack stunned the boy long enough for Keno to take hold of the extended arm and hurl him over the shoulder. He tried to answer with something reckless, but only managed to flail wildly before righting himself, landing, and falling back into his old habits. Keno fell for it and Mani began to collect himself as the familiar dance resumed, but as the moment of truth arrived and he fired a super-condensed ball of energy, Keno made it disappear by thrusting his left arm at the attack.
What Keno had answered Mani's projectile with was not an energy blast, wave, or ball. It was a ring that shimmered red and black, and as soon as the ball sailed through that hoop, it vanished. Keno's crazed grin widened as he faded away and reappeared behind Mani with a sharp kick to the spine that sent the boy directly toward the glowing circle of energy, from which reappeared the destructive ki ball it had consumed. Mani hadn't processed everything before the impact and the recurring explosion that reduced his shirt to sleeves, left embers in his hair, and wore this jeans dangerously thin.
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Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 8:18 am
<>
The two rolled about on the forest floor, clawing and biting at each other. Keno actually wasn't biting, but clawed all the same when he could. Neither had effectively pinned the other down, so they rotated the offense-defense roles depending on who was on top and who was on the bottom, sometimes finding themselves in an awkward tangle whenever a tree halted them mid-roll. Snow crunched beneath their weight, packed against their shoulders and arms, melted in their hair, and ran down their torsos until you couldn't tell whether they were boiling, or freezing. To Keno, it felt good.
Mani was certainly the most frustrated between the two. Keno hadn't been bitten, but pretty much let the boy tear his flesh as he forced himself on top. Each time Mani cut into him though, he bled gray instead of red. Even when he tore a vein, there was nothing but a gray filling that refused to let KenoTao bleed out and slowly began sealing his flesh back up. The only satisfaction Mani was getting was the grunts and groans of pain that couldn't be avoided, but KenoTao wouldn't die. He just wouldn't!
Keno grew bored eventually and sat up into another headbutt and delivered to Mani a forceful kiai to the gut which effectively separated the two. The only thing that stopped the boy from hovering was gravity and the only thing that stopped him from sliding along the ground was nature, one of whose many children was firmly rooted in his path. Keno raced upon his adversary much sooner than he was expected and the two took to trading punches. As he took a blow to the abdomen, he delivered one near the boy's left eye. He avoided a kick to the knees - his lower body was fair play now - widened Mani's stance, and offered a palm thrust to the chest which knocked the child through the tree that had halted his slide and onto the ground, but didn't keep him down. Keno simply walked around the tree, ignoring the cracking sound it made as it fell, and kept smiling as he continued stalking his game.
The question still bothered him, but he kept his mind on the present inasmuch as he could, enjoying being able to so thoroughly enrage an enemy he didn't consider beneath him. It wasn't fun being played with if you were aware of it, after all. Of course, if you were the one doing the playing, it was probably the most satisfying thing to know that your prey was aware of the futility of their struggle. Naturally, Keno hadn't given in to despair. He had played Mani so well because he had apparently gotten into the boy's head somehow. Even in his mania, Mani applied whatever he thought he knew about Keno to the fight. When, where, or how he gathered the information was intriguing, but no longer important, because it was wrong. Not entirely wrong, perhaps, but wrong all the same. Keno preyed on the ignorance, trying to keep the question behind him so that he could have his fun.
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Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 4:05 pm
It was a mistake. A really stupid mistake. Mani panted desperately, more paranoid than tired, as he backed against a tree and tried to calm down. Snow fell from above, too much had gathered on a weak limb perhaps, and landed close by. Too close by. He fled. Of course when you were as fast as Mani, fleeing could mean tens of feet or hundreds in the time normal people took two steps. Not that it mattered. Keno wasn't only keeping up somehow, but he kept signaling his arrival. The first two times, Mani had ignored it and paid for it with a gash in his right side similar to what he had left on Keno's back. His wasn't patching up, and though the blood dried, the wound kept reopening.
Somehow Keno kept making the snow fall. Right before he appeared, it fell, and if Mani didn't move, he'd have another scene like so many before. He tried forcing close-quarters combat, but his tactic failed. He became too predictable as the aggressor, and failed to get the jump on his opponent. Maybe, he thought, it would be better to force Keno to give chase. Attacking him offensively was almost impossible now, but he wouldn't move to kill while defending himself. Maybe his offense in general was just weak, and if so, maybe it can be exploited. That's what Mani had thought was best.
It was exactly what Keno wanted.
When humans hunted game, they had to take into account where the prey could go and how it would get there. At least before guns came along in which case the rules changed a bit here and there and the hunt usually ended quickly. When humans hunted other humans however, especially humans their own size, they had the advantage and disadvantage of knowing they could go wherever their prey went however their prey went there. It was important that the hunter know this. It was fun if the hunted did not. Mani had hunted humans before, so there was really no reason for him to be so out of sorts, but perhaps it was the fact that Keno had hunted humans before too that got to him. Worse still, Keno knew what it was like to be hunted as well. Mani did not.
Although Keno sometimes inspired a branch to lighten its load, it never occurred to Mani that he should be more careful about frantically running into trees.
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The Fierce Deity Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 7:37 pm
::The tall Orinian had settled back down, though on a different branch now, somewhat further away from the battle. The tree he had once called his perch had been shattered by a flying child - he had to find a better place to watch. Watch he did, quite startled by what he was witnessing. Strangely, KenoTao's own makeshift method of regeneration wasn't a surprise at all - what was, however, was where his power was coming from. Deity hadn't seen this kind of power in quite some time - with it, Keno was somehow on level terms with his attacker. Better still, the mere presence of that power had thrown the child off his game quite clearly, which gave Keno the advantage he needed. Mindgames, he thought with a brief smile.
Deity showed no displeasure in the newfound realization that Keno would likely win this battle now. After all, he had decided moments prior to prevent the tiger from being killed - now at least, he didn't need to get involved. The displeasure was not his, but quite visibly that of the mysertious ebony man from the day before. He made his move the instant before Deity intended to, though to what purpose the boy couldn't be sure. Whatever the case, distinct vibes of anger were radiating toward Deity the moment it happened. He didn't know the man or know what connection he might have with himself, Keno, or his genetically altered pursuers. To be honest the Tonepian didn't care what the stranger thought of his actions - anyone who did not agree with his opinion of the tiger either had huge blinders clouding their view of the truth, or some seriously twisted morals.
Whoever he was, he again demonstrated his alignment with the good-natured side of things, playing a role in holding a level playing field should things turn sour. If by some chance Keno defeated the child and the two in the sky went against their word and refused to release Jade, Deity and Keno would have to face them in order to free her. The Orinian somewhat doubted their chances. With the man of black standing nearby to help, the odds would be in their favor. Hopefully anyway, he thought. He couldn't vouch for the big man's strength - he could be a mountain or an anthill. Appearances meant nothing at all, but it would be unwise to be unprepared for any considerable contingency.::
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Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 8:10 pm
Most of his breakfast was on the ground in front of him. He knew it would happen sooner or later. The half-digested food taste was still uninvitingly on his breath that expanded from his mouth in puffs of stinking vapor. Blood mixed with the bile and ran down the sides of his mouth to his chin, dripping and adding a flair to the stew of chunks of stuff on the forest floor. He stared at Mani, his eyes normal again - the boy had learned to stop running - as they stood idly by, a timeout of sorts called between them.
Mani was just as winded and breathed just as hard, but was sweatier and had coughed up blood too. The boy clutched his side wound as though applying pressure would eventually make him numb to the pain. His cheeks were swelling, as were his lips, and his left eye was only half open. Comparatively, Keno looked better, because he had the Mineral and a healing factor in his DNA. Though nothing in comparison to Deity's, most of his wounds were gone save the freshest and the most major; the Mineral did its part in those places. All considered, Keno was glad he had not overextended himself too much, but dried blood was everywhere, even on his face - Mani eventually took to real head shots, too. For all that, though, he wasn't sure how much of the dried blood was his, and how much was Mani's. At this point, it mattered very little.
Frustration replaced his smile as he grew increasingly bothered with the boy, mostly because of some chopping noise he began hearing when Mani stopped running. It effectively distracted him, which was why he had lost his breakfast, but as though on cue, it ended after Mani's most recent punch to his gut, his most recent punch to the boy's right jaw, and their mutual truce. The noise made no sense in any real context, but it stuck in his mind as something important. Something to look forward to.
He moved first because he knew Mani was about to. It was so abrupt a pre-empt, it allowed him the first strike, a straight punch with the left, which Mani caught and tried to return, but Keno caught his too and they were both effectively locked up. Breaking was most logical, so Mani did, but Keno did not. He launched after the boy and delivered a reverse double hammer fist right under the chin, vaulting Mani straight into the air, then took Mani by the ankle and slammed him back into the ground. The boy got no recovery time before he was dragged along and swung like a lead pipe into a tree; Keno had no time to be smug because a concussive flash of light sent him sprawling back along the ground. He rolled on to his shoulders and performed a handspring back to his feet.
There was just enough time to parry a punch to his face and redirect Mani's face into a tree. He only slammed the boy into a trunk once before the extended elbow struck his nose dangerously close to his right eye. A sweep knocked his feet from under him and Mani caught him upside-down prepared to slam him head first into the ground. Fortunately, Keno wasn't afraid of taking a bite out of the boy's upper thigh - a 'dangerously close' bite - which frightened him enough to toss Keno aside, who propelled his retreat with a kiai just for safe measure.
Out of nowhere, Keno's demeanor changed as he stepped into Mani's guard to avoid a right straight punch and wrapped his arms about the child's chest, pinning Mani's left arm to his side. Then he bit straight into the boy's neck, right at the base where it met the shoulder. He didn't bite all the way through, but enough blood was in his mouth to make him spit out. He ran his skull into the swollen, screaming face as he released the boy and drove a solid side kick into the child's side wound, reopening it as Mani twirled off-balance on his left foot and fell face down.
The playful sparkle, mischievous glow, or deceitful glint, whichever you preferred to call it - was nowhere to be found in Keno's expression. Only the fatigue and frustration accompanied the absolute life-or-death ultimatum that hung over this match; at least for him. He walked towards Mani stoically, with an intensity that did justice to the deed to come.
Mani for his part fell into the role naturally and rolled onto his back clutching his neck and side, blood leaking through his fingers. He finally understood death, Keno noticed; not necessarily in reference to the countless men that served as test subjects for him, but in reference to the magnitude of what happened to Jagan and was soon to happen to him. Killing KenoTao never would have made things better. Too bad he only realized it now; Keno had no pity or mercy in his heart.
"This will be quick." Keno knelt by Mani and cupped his left hand behind the child's head. His right arm drew back, aimed for the boy's skull one last time. The head trauma Mani suffered this day would not matter soon. Nothing would.
"Most of this was fun...too bad..." Had time slowed in that moment, the speed of Keno's fist would still have sickened a man. For people like him and Jade, User and Caine, Deity and Tali, it was normal; maybe a bit faster than their regular punches. For a normal man, it would be a death too swift to register; the fist and then nothing. For Mani it would be swift, but not too swift. Slow in some ways, but not painful. He wouldn't feel anything or at least he wouldn't know it if he did since his head would be hanging off of Keno's arm. It had to be brutal, Keno thought, but not painful. Duels never had to be painful. The villains and victims made them so, but it was not in Death and Dying's nature to be painful. For Keno, this was a show of mercy, maybe even respect, and maybe Mani saw that too, because he accepted it with the dignity Keno advised him to maintain before the fight started.
Keno drove the punch home...
...Mani was faking...
...Keno was too...
...Mani cried...
'Cry' isn't accurate, but in a single word, that was what Mani did. Pain was an interesting thing like that for Mani was in by far more pain in that moment than either fighter the entire bout. You see, when one was hurt, they are most often inclined to tears and crying. If they are in too much pain, they could be rendered literally unable to cry - as Keno had been when his ankle was ripped apart. However, there was a pain that exceeded even this and when experienced, you hurt far too much NOT to cry. Or more accurately, you grew mad with hysteria as was evident by the sounds that came out of your mouth.
Mani was truly a world class actor in his own right. He could probably fake his own death and resurrection if he truly wanted to. Pretending to accept his inevitable demise, Mani held his countenance until the very last moment, but sadly Keno had too. Though he didn't know what would happen next, the wolf child knew it was something terrible. When he opened his mouth, prepared to shave the flesh off the back of Keno's hand for all he was worth, he saw a flicker of something in Keno's eye; something that explained to him what so many already knew.
Keno was his own master. No one else had tamed him yet; they likely never would.
What chance did a trained dog stand against him?
Mani had gotten the mouth full of fist he coveted, but it came at a price. He wasn't allowed the satisfaction of success before something shot out of Keno's arm and hand. Several holes were pierced in his mouth; through the roof, under his chin, through both cheeks, over his upper lip. Metal spikes decorated and damaged his face in the least fatal way imaginable, but the most painful one wasn't in his mouth. It was in his eye. What used to be his eye anyway. His right eye.
The spikes withdrew and Keno had even less pity in his heart for the howling Mani. He knew his offer of a painless death would be denied, but he mustered up what remained of his mercy to offer it anyway. One couldn't say he didn't try. Mani's face had a look of absolute shock and horror, his swollen left eye bugging, his hands shaking violently near his face too afraid to actually touch it. He screamed and screamed and bled as he broke into a cold sweat and tears welled up in his eye, leaked out of the near-vacant socket, and ran down his bloody, swollen, punctured cheeks.
If it continued, the boy would simply die from shock. Keno wouldn't allow that, and brought his fist straight down into the kid's stomach, forcing immediate oxygen deprivation. He denied the villain, now his victim, the luxury of passing out though, so slapped him hard enough to keep him alert. Mani was only half-conscious by the end of it, his life depending solely on how much air Keno would let him breathe. Blood oozed from his wounds and trickled out of his mouth.
Keno rose to his feet and moved to stand over the boy's head. He lifted the catatonic child by the hair with his left hand and held the kid by the base of the skull, fingers just below the ears, in his right. A surge of electricity built up along his right arm, the silver buckles twinkling in light. This would be even less painful, Keno thought, and just as effective.
"Let him go KenoTao!" Her voice was low and distressed, but commanding. Keno did not release Mani, but looked ahead at Raion, who stood no more than ten yards away, left arm around a kneeling Jade's neck, and right hand palming the top of her head.
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Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 9:18 pm
Jade stirred. Her body ached. Why did her body ache? Her head throbbed, along with her throat. She wanted to stretch her limbs and back, but something instinctual told her to keep still. There was still pressure on her neck, making only shallow breathing possible. Her eyes opened slowly, just a hair or two. It was bright, white, with spots of dark scattered around. It was cold.
She was outside. That's right, she was taking a walk with Keno. Her feet were still numb from their trek through the snow. Just when they were getting into decent conversation, something had happened. What was it again? A slight shift of the pressure against her neck reminded her. Keno was attacked, and she was grabbed. Hostage. She was still a hostage.
The girl became fully aware of herself again, though barely moved, barely breathed. She didn't want to give it away she was awake again. From the light breaths she took through her nose and mouth, blood was heavy on the air. Who's blood it was, however, was hard to tell. What was going on? What had happened while she was unconscious?
Her vision cleared more, her head throbbing less and less as she came more to herself. There was movement in front of her, and Jade recognized the form of Keno, in close proximity to the form of the no-longer child Mani. Both were covered in the stench of blood. Her body was lowered down and her knees folded under her, neck pulled up slightly and head pushed a bit forwards.
Raion's voice echoed above her, making her head pulse slightly with the volume of it. But she ignored it, focused on the sight only thirty feet away from her. Both Keno and Mani stank of blood, each others blood. Mani was hardly recognizable, chunks missing from his face and neck. What the hell had Keno done to him?! What had they done to each other?!
Jade held down a scream that would have been nothing more than a strangled gurgle.
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Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 2:38 am
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Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 7:40 am
"And I suppose she dies if I refuse?" Keno asked soberly and honestly, without much enthusiasm. Very cliche this, but apparently very effective. Raion merely nodded, but she didn't even have to do that much. "I already fought the brat. You have to let Jade go."
"Not until you let go of Mani."
"That's not in the rules."
"What?"
"The rules. You said either go with you or fight Mani. Either way, you let Jade go. I held up my end of the bargain. Now it's your turn."
"Things are different now."
"No they're not. Nothing new has come into consideration. If you'll recall, I asked what would happen if I won, but you refused to make concessions. Therefore, you no longer have any right to keep Jade hostage." Keno's glare intimidated even Raion just then as she struggled through his logic, but she couldn't say he was wrong. "To the victor go the spoils. All I ask is that you let her go!" He uttered the last three words slowly and carefully so as to make himself clear. All he asked for was Jade's life. He said absolutely nothing regarding his own. Raion didn't notice this because she was more worried about Mani's well-being to critically analyze his statement.
A staring match ensued between the two of them as Raion weighed her choices. Neither of them knew the other well enough not to be paranoid, nor did they know just how far the other was willing to go. Personally, she wasn't willing to push this too far, but Keno might very well kill Mani if she kept him waiting. That in itself made matters delicate, nevermind the fact that she technically had sacrificed her collateral early on. She had no right to go back on her word just because things didn't turn out the way she intended. Even so, that didn't matter because Mani was inches from death. If she had to force KenoTao's hand, then to hell with the cost.
"Why should I trust you?"
"Because you started it!" Keno roared, his voice echoing through the forest like a clap of thunder. Raion was taken aback at this, and her expression said as much. Still, she held firm. "Two years," he said. "It's almost been two years since Jagan died, and in that time, have I come after you or the others even once? Did I intrude upon your home or threaten your friends? Did I crash Jagan's funeral and desecrate his grave or his ashes? Have I personally done ANYTHING remotely offensive to you for that matter? Have I?!"
Naturally she had no retaliation, and Luke, who desperately just wanted to leave, kept his arms folded and his head low as he stood by waiting. Just as KenoTao said, Raion had made a deal before this fight started and one of them had to honor that agreement. Luke designated himself to be that person and refused to get involved further for the time, but no one else knew that.
"You came to me, you keep coming to me, and you will probably continue to come to me, and every time you do I will fight until you leave, die, or kill me, but if you leave me alone, there wouldn't be a problem.
"Besides," he continued, "have I given you a reason not to trust me? Aside from never having made a single promise before today, when you come for me, I stay, no matter how hopeless it is to try and fight you. You took it upon yourselves to get other people involved and assaulted my friends for no reason. That's why Jagan died and that's why this boy is dying."
Raion remembered in that moment that Mani had a nasty hole in his right side. When she looked at it, she noticed that it was still bleeding. It didn't look like it would close this time either. It had taken too much abuse. How much blood had he already lost? Were there internal injuries as well? How long could she debate with KenoTao not knowing such things? It was imperative that the doctor tend to him.
"I fought," Keno said. "So let Jade go. If you don't, there will be more than two corpses in these woods." His voice carried a note and his eyes carried a particular glimmer in that moment that, so far, only a few living people had ever seen - most witnesses died horribly. Keno was not to be ******** with. Raion could not think of a way out of this situation that didn't involve holding Keno to his word. Vali might have, but she could not.
She released Jade slowly, and took two steps back, hands in the air as a show of good faith.
"Now let Mani go!" she demanded hastily, but Keno didn't budge.
"You're faster than she is, and stronger than I am. Even if you mean no harm, who's to say you won't recapture her and force me to fight pretty boy next? I spoke clearly: 'Let her go' does not mean 'release her.' It means 'let her go.'" In that moment, he gave Deity and Tama a passing glance, and Raion followed his eyes. So that's what he wanted. The girl had to be removed from this confrontation altogether. It wasn't her fight and KenoTao didn't want her involved. Apparently they had chosen a valuable hostage when they took her. Too valuable apparently. They were better off without her.
"Go," she ordered Jade as though her consent were needed, keeping her distance. She didn't even lower her arms. If getting rid of that girl meant getting Mani back, so be it.
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