savetheearth | Mission 7 - A Chance Meeting

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Mission 7 - A Chance Meeting

Who: Anthony Sparado, Hajime Aikawa, Chinen Shou, and NPC mcfirestarter
What: Cleaning up some loose ends.
Where: Downtown Locke, couple of areas likely
When: December 1st, late afternoon/evening
Warnings: Violence, death, probably profanity.

Text: [The hurriedly typed address of a small bookstore somewhere downtown.]

Got a bite. It's show time, hope you're hungry.

Action: After the sting at Espresso Yourself things had fallen quiet again. By now quiet was worrying, instead of signalling peace and a break from madness Tony had come to associate the quiet with an impending shitstorm. With luck, and a good bit of skill, maybe he'd be able to cut this one off before things got unbearably messy. That was the plan, anyway.

Shou's contacts had given Tony a lead or two, and that coupled with his own ever increasing hunter's instincts he'd finally tracked down his quarry: The modified human that had been made to look like him.

After shooting a quick text to the both of them (he couldn't give them more time as much as he would have liked to) he began to move in. Storm clouds rumbled ominously overhead, briefly distracting Tony. Something about all of this was weirdly familiar, and unsettling. He adjusted the sword on his shoulder, shoved aside the anticipation causing a funny knot in his gut, and began to move in. Now he knew he spotted the guy around there somewhere. He couldn't have gotten too far, could he?

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Bugged-out eyes flick independently back and forth of each other as a young man with green-tinged skin drags on a cigarette and tries to suppress his nerves. He's working tonight, and he has to take it seriously if he wants to remain in good favor with his notorious boss. That being said, it's fairly dangerous, because he'll probably end up on camera. The only real upside is that he won't look like himself; he won't look exactly like who he's trying to look like, either, but that hardly matters. All that's really important is that he comes close enough to fool the prejudiced masses, and given his modifications to look and behave more like an chameleon, it'll be very little trouble.

Stubbing out his cigarette on the nearest brick surface, he pulls his hood down, shifting his appearance to take on the features of the young man he's impersonating. White hair, a missing eye and accompanying eye patch, a blue sweater... and a can of gasoline, and a box of matches. When this hits news stands tomorrow, the small charity clinic will not be the only thing to have burned.

Edited (Ugh i know my lizards) 2014-12-02 18:54 (UTC)

Hajime had wasted no time in responding to Tony's message. The fastest way to get there was aboard his motorcycle, and since the bike transformed when he took the form the Ace of Hearts granted him, he just went with that. He was a little faster that way than when he took the Joker form that he'd been running around calling the Lord of the Bugmen, and really, something smaller and less well known would serve them well in this endeavor.

Tony had an idea of where the guy was, so the hunt was on. Hajime lay in wait in an alley; when he saw the guy, he was going to run him down. Even in a sleeker, armored form, stealth was not his special skill. Hopefully the guy would show himself, or Tony and Shou would drive him out.

Or would quietly patrolling around the area do the same thing? Decisions, decisions...

There were a few buildings to choose from. A privately owned bookstore seemed promising, but Tony had a feeling that that might not be quite high profile enough. Besides, this guy wanted to be seen, so somewhere with better security cameras seemed more likely. Maybe it was just a hunch, but the clinic looked more promising.

He began his hunt there. Expertly making his way over the chain link fence blocking off the alley with ease, he crept quietly through the seemingly empty area. Eye and ears alert for any sounds that might betray another person skulking about. If anyone asked, well... he was just out for a stroll, got a little lost.

Never mind the sword might be harder to talk his way out of. Small details.

If Tony's hunch was just that, it was a good one. Luca had, just a few moments before on the other side of the building, pulled himself near-soundlessly onto the chainlink fence, balancing for a moment as his fingers and toes gripped onto the top like a real chameleon would a slender branch. He skittered down nimbly, a prehensile tail grasping the gasoline can, which he took into his hands. He was quiet as he went about sprinkling the sides of the building with the acrid-smelling liquid. He made sure his tail was tucked away, because those security cameras wouldn't be able to make much sense of it in the context of Anthony Sparado, but then again... With as well as most average citizens understood the Numbered population, they might as well have just been a bunch of monsters.

It wasn't exactly just a hunch, he didn't exactly know how to describe it, but he had a way of just discerning where would be a good place to hit. An instinct, perhaps? Hard to say, really, maybe Shou was just rubbing off on him a little too much. That aside, it seemed he'd hit the jackpot as the acrid scent of accelerant hit his nostrils. This was the right place, and he didn't have time to wait for Shou or Hajime to show up.

Looked like this was going to be a solo party. It occurred to him that it wouldn't be safe to use his gun, he could end up sparking a fire anyway and the whole plan would be shot.

Following the smell he rounded the corner of the building, spotting his bug-eyed double dousing the building. "Well, well," He called out, sounding a lot more confident than he felt as he strode forward. "What've we got here?"

The decision was probably taken out of his hands as Shou just lightly leaps down from the rooftop to land near him. Because the jump wasn't what could be considered graceful, he stumbled and flailed a little before ending up to try to casually lean against the wall. It probably would have fooled anyone that wasn't paying attention, but then again, Shou was still trying to get use to this whole 'creature of the night' gig the pulses had landed him into.

"Evening."

Luca stiffened, his uncovered eye pivoting and locking onto Tony. The gas can fell from his hand as he crouched defensively; the young man he was impersonating seemed confident, and why shouldn't he? He'd caught him in the act, and if he had the power to back up that confidence...

The wisest course of action really did seem to turn tail and flee, stat, if Luca cared a thing for his life. And truly, he did. So he whipped around, sprinting back toward the chainlink fence, reaching for the pistol in his pocket. His thoughts were the same as Tony's in that a gunshot was a bad idea, but for a different reason: framing Tony was the objective, and if the kid was dead, then it shed some serious doubt on him being a firestarter... But if he had no other choice, he was prepared to do that to save his own scaly hide.

Luckily for Shou, Hajime's helmeted form meant that he just wasn't very expressive. He is therefore spared the sight of Hajime's smirking at the lack of grace that accompanies that leap. Instead, he just gets a nod of greeting. Just going to pretend like he hadn't seen that, nothng but business here. "Have you seen anything yet?"

It was dangerous, Tony knew, but sometimes a good bluff was all it took to keep from being shot outright. He'd expected the guy to mouth off, maybe wave a gun at him and hopefully Shou and Hajime would arrive to back him up. Already he could feel his heart-rate picking up, his fear beginning to dissolve back behind the curtain of unnatural glee and hunger that came with situations like this. That irresistible need for a fight.

Any sense of self-control or preservation dropped away as soon as the chameleon turned to flee. Like a cat that had cornered a mouse and couldn't bear to see its prey escape, Tony took off after him. Though he was small, he was quick on his feet and agile. Years of practice for fun and need had left him still with a good bit of skill when it came to getting away from someone, or chasing them down. He didn't intend on letting the lizard get away.

Eventually, Luca did run into the chainlink fence, but his execution wasn't as deft as it should have been. He misjudged his grip and fell backward, landing with a squawk on his tail and scrambling back into a defensive crouch. It looked like he didn't have much choice other than to at least threaten shooting.

His gun came out quickly, though he fumbled with it initially. "Don't come closer," he warned in a low voice. "Better for us both if you don't buddy, trust me on that."

Though he tried to sound tough, anyone attentive could hear the note of uncertainty betraying Luca's wavering resolve. This one was as degenerate as they came, but someone green when it came to killing. Literally, of course, but also figuratively.

Well, chameleons weren't known for their speed and agility, so the guy was really out of luck up against Tony who made up for his lack of size with ferocity. He wasn't far behind the lizard when he hit the fence, but skidded to a halt when that gun came out. He narrowed his good eye at it then locked his steely gaze on the reptilian man.

"Yeah?" He responded in a low growl, though not immediately moving forward he did shift his weight between both feet, keeping ready to move at a moment's notice. "And why's that? So you can start some more fires in my honor?" He nearly hissed as he crouched lower, as if readying for a pounce.

"Not really? I think there's an odd scent in the air, but not sure."

He took a deep breath, still really not sure of his senses and what they tell him. It was one thing to use them to hunt people down, another to use them once the hunger was gone and he was thinking again. at least he knew when to go out hunting. At least he knew how to judge that bit though he wasn't sure how much longer he had until his feeding would get too noticeable.

Luca braced, gritting his numerous, pointed teeth as Tony seemed to prepare for quite a devastating attack. Screw Albero! he thought in a panic, clutching the gun. I didn't sign up for this; I want to live!

A gunshot cracked the night as he pulled the trigger, aiming between Tony's eyes and praying it saved him.

Only a rookie would aim for the skull, but just this once it proved that sometimes rookie's luck came through. Tony didn't have time to react, through his own enraged bloodlust he hadn't thought to draw his gun and could have easily taken down the lizard before it got to this point.

His recklessness proved fatal.

The bullet struck home, rocking him back on his feet from the force of it. Searing pain and blinding light shot through his eyes as he slumped to one knee, as if still struggling to fight further. One final snap and snarl of defiance as he fully hit the ground blood already pooling around him. Had he had the capacity he would have been surprised that he hadn't died immediately, but it couldn't be long now. Fighting to the bitter end this one.

The sound of the gunshot draws Hajime's attention pretty well, and he wastes no time in tearing off in that direction on his motorcycle. Forget traffic laws and speed limits, he's coming. If Shou's fast, he'll be able to jump onto the back of the bike. If not, he's stuck taking the long way.

And when Hajime gets close, he'll see that Tony's gone down. That won't make him very happy at all. And he'll try to close that distance and administer a little punishment in an instinctive Kamen Rider fashion, considering he's got all of his other self's bike-riding and bike-fighting skills. He uses a curb to get himself the altitude he needs and there's a flying motorcycle jump over in that direction. He'll try to slam into Tony's assailant with the front tire of the motorcycle, because that is what one does when one has ridiculous motorcycle combat skills and needs to put down an enemy.

He heard the gunshot about the same time as Hajime. It took a second of thought and then he was hopping on the motorcycle, wrapping an arm around Hajime and clinging hard, which was a good thing as the bike screeched into action. He had a far better sense of balance than he used to, which was probably part of the whole undead creature that hunts in the night thing, but he wasn't sure, but as Hajime wheeled his bike, Shou rolled off and went to check on Tony and dragged him on of the way.

There was a lot of blood, but he doesn't smell right. Shou pressed his hand against the bullet wound and bared his teeth, turning to watch the Rider and the goon. If they came too close, he was pulling Tony to safety.

If Luca had had any concept of the hell that would be crashing down on his scaly head when Tony hit the ground, he might have been more likely to maintain his composure in a moment of panic and not fire his weapon. The willful young man dropped, not dead but certainly not far from it, with blood pooling around his head and staining his white hair crimson. Very final, perhaps more final than the inexperienced goon had intended, but it was done, and the best he could do was destroy the body along with the building. He began to approach Tony; a little gasoline, propping him up against the bricks... perhaps his original mission was salvageable despite the new and serious crime he'd just committed.

The roar of a motorcycle startled him, and no sooner had he looked up at the approaching vehicle and its two riders than he was being knocked off his webbed feet, taking the full brunt of the front wheel in his chest. He didn't notice that the hindmost rider had rolled off and was tending to the fallen kid... he was rather too busy lying on his back trying to breathe, with several smashed-in ribs effectively stunning him motionless.

Edited 2014-12-06 23:21 (UTC)

Initially there wasn't much of a struggle from Tony as he was moved to be propped against the building and used as kindling himself. He was still in shock, pain both blinding and paralyzing him for the moment. But it wouldn't last long, already a primal and furious force stirred within him. He recognized it this time, and this time didn't have the desire to fight against it.

By whatever miracle you might call it that he was still alive, he still had the will to fight. And that wouldn't be satisfied until blood was spilled. Then there was commotion, Tony only dimly aware of the bike crashing through the lizard, and Shou at his side. He let out a quiet hiss at the hand on his forehead (restraining him?), nothing made sense his mind a jumble of pain and anger, too many sounds and too much blood in his face to see through. He struggled, just a little, but he didn't feel like he was dying, necessarily. And given the circumstances that on its own had to be strange.

Shou is taking care of Tony? Good. Hajime wheels the bike back around to face the chameleon-man, rearing it up on its back wheel again like he's trying to rein in some sort of war horse. But the guy's down, and repeatedly running the guy over and over again with the motorcycle just doesn't seem fitting for what's been done here.

So he jumps off the bike and strides over to the fallen thug, and he roughly hauls the other to his feet, grabbing his collar and holding him in the air for a moment. With the hand that is not engaged in collar-grasping, he makes a grasping gesture in thin air...and a stringless longbow--one that appears bladed, yet--appears in that hand. "You got anything you want to say for yourself?"

He wasn't bleeding as much as he should be. Shou frowned, pulling his hand away from the wound and taking a look. It didn't look right. Not that Shou could tell, being that he never really had a lot of experience with wounds, but he always thought there should be blood and maybe exposed brain matter with a shot to the head. Maybe he was wrong, though.

"Hey, it's okay, we got him, Tony."

"I'm not much for smelling things." Hajime taps the helmet. "In the other form, I kind of get that off the antennae, but not so much when I'm like this." He looks around the area. "But if you can narrow that down to a direction, go for it."

The chameleon-mutated goon moaned as he was hauled to his feet by the motorcycle's rider. The helmet concealed his features, he could tell precious little about his assailant's identity. His eyes pivoted wildly without a face to fixate on, and he shook his head in helpless agitation.

Maybe the story would have been different if he'd been mutated into a lion or something... but Luca knew he wasn't brave. As Hajime pulled a bladed longbow from thin air, he gulped audibly.

"I... I don't want to die," he squeaked out, sniffling, the effect decently convincing despite the fact that his lizard eyes couldn't produce tears. Something dropped to the ground underneath Luca, a large portion of his tail. For real chameleons, it was a defensive instinct to avoid capture. For Luca, it was probably the mutation equivalent of shitting his pants.

Edited 2014-12-07 02:00 (UTC)

Luca wasn't like the snake woman, he wasn't cold, he wasn't doing this because he gained some kind of perverse pleasure from it. He was afraid, acting and lashing out of fear. Fear of the Numbered, and fear of his boss Albero. Tony would feel bad for him at this point, even probably plead for his life if he were capable.

Unfortunately Luca had kind of obliterated the portion of his brain that processed things like empathy or appropriate emotional responses. Right now it was all pain, fury, hunger, and survival. Not things conducive to reason or rationality. More of his faculties returning he snarled, baring against Shou's grip as he peeled back his lips to show his teeth, eye (was it turning red or was that just the blood?) now locked on Luca as he struggled to get back to his feet.

If Shou thought he smelled wrong before, now he was really starting to. Something wasn't right here and it was entirely Tony not being properly dead.

Hajime still had his back to Shou and Tony. He couldn't see how things were going, and, in fact, didn't want to look. "You don't want to die, huh? That's funny, because neither does my friend." And he angrily shakes Luca and holds the bow to his neck for good measure. He doesn't intend to do anything fatal just yet, partially because he knows Shou needs to eat.

In fact, he turns to see what Shou's doing, how Tony is, and he's very surprised to see Tony struggling to get up. That's a good sign, right?

Then why are all his bugmonster senses starting to pick up on something that definitely doesn't feel good?

The brimstone stench was really coming off of him in waves. Shou looked back at Tony and hissed a little, his instincts telling him that now was not the time to cuddle the teen. Sure he was a friend, but the vampire side knew when things were bad, the best thing to do was get away from another demon. Problem was that he didn't think that Tony was thinking any more, and he knew that if anything bad would happen, Tony would feel the guilt.

"Hey Rider, I'd suggest you get that goon the hell away from here," he said, applying pressure to keep Tony down. "He's gonna go apeshit."

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Mission 7 - A Chance Meeting

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NPC- Luca Danselmi

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NPC- Luca Danselmi

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