Ark 23 Episode 28: "Freedom"

Featuring




Show Me Your Bloodlust
Talon: The shadowed figure quite closely resembled a silhouetted thief in the night, a mysterious guardian watching over the land that he was soon to conquer and claim as his own kingdom. Showered in the glowing moonlight pouring down on the city of Kasaihana, Tatsuya Kasan – known to his colleagues and the criminal underground as Talon – allowed the soothing night breeze to play in his silky raven tresses as he stood with seemingly unmovable balance at the very edge of a flat rooftop. Perched precisely fifty-seven stories above the city streets below atop a rectangular shaped tower, the gleaming silvery hues planted within his near flawless features overlooked the vast metropolitan landscape, wearing the expression of one who both shuddered in disgust at the sight of such a corrupt civilization and one who knew that someday, his kingdom would grow and flourish from the very foundation of its waking destruction. The young Oyabun was dressed in his usual formal and expensive fabrics: a crisp white button-up with a few buttons open along the top to expose a flat, yet toned chest, which he wore beneath a dark gray vest that fit snugly around his slender torso; beneath that, the fabric of his matching gray slacks rippled in the wind, topping the look off with a pair of polished, black Oxfords. He held the third piece of the expensive suit over his shoulder with his left hand, a dark gray jacket that waved behind his tall frame like a flag, which he had chosen not to wear due to his enjoyment of the current weather. Though the polluted atmosphere surrounding Kasaihana was nothing like the fresh air back home in Azulon, he was still grateful for the ability to breathe it in, knowing that at some point, he would steal that privilege from others within the city soon. All in due time. A thin trail of smoke danced upward from the butt end of a cigarette tucked between the Oyabun's thin lips, which he inhaled from silently before pinching the halfway shriveled stick between two fingers of his free hand. He removed it from his mouth, only to exhale a swirling white-gray cloud into the air before his face, keeping the cigarette raised with the level of his lips as they then parted to speak, “As the weeks go by, almost in the blink of an eye, I tend to wonder to myself if my past decisions have been worth while.” His voice held a low, inquisitive tone and though it was laced with its usual velvet, there was not a single hint of emotion behind the milky smooth chords. “I have eyes all over this city, constantly watching over its activity like a hawk watches its many prey, hoping that in time, I'll be illuminated to the bravest and the strongest who walk these streets. It is with them that I intend to fulfill my goal in unlocking the true, destructive power of a man's will, of a man's lust for divinity and superiority over those who once oppressed him.” As Talon spoke, he was not speaking to himself just for the sake of hearing his own voice – as lovely as it was – but to his newest addition to the Kuroyama Clan, a disciple whom he'd chosen in the midst of detrimental circumstances. Onikage Eko, having agreed to accompany Talon atop the fifty-seven story tower, should have been standing somewhere on the rooftop's flat surface listening to his mentor's speech. Though Talon had his back to the other male, every word he spoke was directed to him. “I saw that sort of potential in you the day you saved my life, Eko.” The Oyabun continued to speak. “It was a risk you did not have to take, per se, but apparently something drove you to do so. Something drove you to appear during that battle and take the lives of hundreds of those men...the Triads. That very thing that drove you was the same thing that drove me as well....blood lust. I saw that in your eyes that day...and that is why you are here; that is why you have been a welcomed asset among my clan. However, I haven't yet tested whether or not such a decision on my part was a good decision. Though I believe that your potential is like a raging flame ready to be released onto the likes of your enemies,” Talon at last turned to face Eko, the wind causing his hair to billow sideways as he carelessly tossed his cigarette over his shoulder to fall to the city streets below. “I must see that for myself. I must see for myself that the blood lust I saw in your eyes weeks ago wasn't just my imagination. You have something in you, Onikage Eko. And the reason why you're here is so we can unlock that thing inside you – the true potential of your blood lust.” Talon lowered his left hand to drop his jacket onto the floor beside his feet, taking a few steps forward before pausing approximately ten feet in front of Eko. “Your time to shine is now.” He stated. “Prove to me that you have what it takes to call yourself a member of Kuroyama. Show me...” Talon paused to extend his right hand forward, making a 'come here' gesture with all of his fingers pointed upward. “Your true blood lust.” And with that statement hanging in the air, the meaning was clear that the Oyabun wanted his new disciple to attack him. Whether or not Eko was formally trained in combat like Talon was didn't matter much. What he'd wanted for the moment was to see what the other male had knowledge of and how he could fortify that knowledge into something deadly and destructive. Any weapons Eko happened to have on his person could be put to use in this instance, just as long as he did not back down or show any hint of weakness. For that reason alone, Talon felt that he would have every right to deem him useless and slay him where he stood.

Eko: Not only was his leader standing atop the roof 50 stories up, Eko too stood at a height that most shied away from. Up here the world looked and felt different, a clear, vast landscape opening out below him for miles. He himself stood shadowed by the roof’s large steam vent, that when working puffed out its large wet fluff to the endless sky. It wasn’t often (if at all) Eko Onikage directed himself up to the top of Kasaihana’s upper canopy, he had neither the motivation nor the need to traverse this brand new world of concrete and sudden death feet from you. Either way, he felt somewhat exhilarated being up here with the wind swirling free from the tunnels of streets in large gusts that blew everything around Eko like a sail caught out at sea. He took a deep breath as he stepped further onto the roof, the air smelt cleaner up here than his body was used to down below, it wasn’t caked with all the corruption and pollutants Kasaihana pumped through its cookie cutter roads. The concrete roof felt sturdy under his dress shoes, yes Eko dressed nice for being on top of the roof, he had to, and an important meeting like this he needed to look good. Not because he wanted to but rather his new boss requested a meeting and this wasn’t something Eko had the luxury of skipping out on, not even if he wanted to try. This snazzy suit he wore consisted of the usual fair. It too caught the stiff breeze drifting through the world of upper Kasaihana, the snazzy black jacket most of all snapping behind him like a loose sheet on a line. Eko kept his hands in the pockets of his black dress slacks, the thoughts of what his new boss would be having him do slipped like a stream through his mind, he’d relish the fighting and all the violence because that’s what he did best. His new boss stood a ways away from him, shadowed a bit by another part of the building, his slim frame etched along the background of the velvet sky. Stars spilled like tiny drops of gems along the navy fabric of the night, some twinkling; a few brighter than others but none the less, it looked most empty with the lights blaring up from the buildings. The silence before his boss spoke felt heavy, pregnant and drawn out in the span of a few breaths but yet, it didn’t feel strange or awkward just a pause to life’s many rushing moments. The voice his boss had sounded as smooth as the sky looked, plush and warm like a drape of thick velvet over porcelain skin though devoid of emotion it could very well send shivers up many a spine. Being new to this party, Eko listened to ever word that fell out of his boss’ mouth; it was true he saved Talon’s life but why he didn’t quite know himself either, maybe it was some warriors sympathy that decided to sway Eko into taking him from the building before it exploded. He wasn’t sure but whatever it was, Talon, (his boss) thanked him for it and brought him on as a member of the clan. Eko knew why Talon took him on, the lust for blood that ran through his veins in a good fight and that’s why he stood here now. Talon wanted to see that from him, that drive and desire that makes Eko so vicious in a fight, he could kill and the thought of spilling another man’s blood didn’t deter him from the end result. He couldn’t help but flash a toothy smirk at Talon’s mention of this, sure a good fight was exciting, it should be that way for any person in this sort of life really, the underbelly of Kasaihana needed this to thrive. Afterall there's beasts and there's prey, Eko was gonna show Talon what being a beast meant. He took off his coat as Talon gestured for him to come on. "Let's see some fangs eh?" Eko then ran forward his shoes hitting the ground hard as he ran towards Talon but instead of actually launching a straightforward attack he twisted and let his hands hit the ground. This braced himself as he raised his right foot and kicked from the ground with his left causing his body to rotate so that his left heel was aimed to smash into Talon's face.

Talon: The young Oyabun remained completely still was his silvery hues watched his disciple run at him, observing his every motion though it was only a simple run. His ears could not help but note the hard thudding of his feet on the ground, which – if he had been blind – would have easily determined the other male's position. He saw him drop suddenly, his hands hitting the floor before his body swung around to smash his heel into his face. “Hmm.” A thoughtful noise rumbled in his chest and with enhanced reflexes granted to him by his nanomachines, his hand which had already been raised to perform the “come here” gesture simply snapped into an angle so that his now clenched fist was positioned directly in front of his face. He tensed the muscles in his raised arm whose strength was fueled by nanoenergy, so that once Eko made the kick toward his face, his heel would slam into the back of his hand instead of its initial target. His eyes were now narrowed on Eko as he held his arm firmly in place so that his fist wouldn't swing back and do him damage. “Your feet are much too heavy.” He stated calmly. “When attacking an opponent, you must be silent as not to alert them of your approach.” In that instant, Talon thrusted his arm outward, which – with the enhanced strength put behind the motion – would have blasted Eko's foot away from him as well as send the rest of his body tumbling across the roof for about fifteen feet. Seeing as though the motion was a counter for his previous attack – unless he had found some way to prevent this action from happening – it was a sure fire connection. The wind seemed to burst from the sudden motion, which had made Talon's arm appear to be almost nothing but a blur as his fist swung out from in front of his face to halt now outward beside his body. If Eko had been sent backwards, which given the circumstance, he most likely had been, Talon would rush forward toward him, running on the balls of his feet while at the same time shifting the weight in his legs upward so that his feet did not make a single sound on the floor, even with his Oxfords on. Throughout the many years he had trained with his father as a child, he had been taught the ability to run at high speeds without making a sound with his feet, enabling him to travel like a ninja of sorts. The key was to focus your weight on the upper portion of your body rather than the lower, combined with one of the main techniques of Dragon Style Kung Fu, which was to keep your body relaxed and fluid at all times. This made Talon's legs feel light in comparison to the rest of his body, the only sound that could be heard of his rapid travel was the wind beating through the fabric of his white button-up. Reaching about five feet close to Eko's current position, Talon stomped his last step into the ground before using his powerful leg strength to launch himself about ten feet into the air, flipping his body forward into a ball once he had reached that altitude before straightening his posture in midair to pull back his right fist. His white sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing the white gloves encasing his hands whose fabric was now being slightly stretched by his balled fist. Now plummeting straight down toward Eko's position, Talon would attempt to superman punch straight down onto his body. Regardless of his body's position, if the punch connected, the impact would be enough to plunge his body into the roof; not shooting through the entire layer of cement but cratering it with his body. If the attack were to miss, Talon would simply strike the ground in Eko's stead, yet the powerful impact would be enough to send a slight shockwave of wind bursting outward from the area of landing, which would cause Eko to be blown backwards if he did not find some way to dodge or block the shockwave, if not Talon's superman punch.

Eko: Talon was skilled; Eko knew that, so it wasn’t a surprise when his kick was met with a hand instead of his intended target. His eyes narrowed in that instant but that didn’t prevent him from tumbling backward along the rooftop back near he was earlier next to the steam vent. Silenced feet wouldn’t do much good against most of his opponents, considering most didn’t think that deeply into a fight but he’d take that into consideration. Quickly, Eko stood up and dusted himself off. “You’re quicker than I thought…” Unfortunately for Eko that was the case and Talon was already in motion, running silently forward before leaping up into the air. He had an idea of what Talon was doing- he figured some kind of punch with the added momentum of falling or a heel kick of some kind. Using the vent to his advantage, Eko quickly grabbed the nearest handhold above him and propelled himself up onto the top of the sturdy steam vent and he turned around a split-second later to see Talon slam his fist into the concrete below, cratering it like a comic-book hero. The top of this building had many ledges and things anyone could grab onto and utilize to their advantage, for example the steam vent Eko perched on. There was also on the roof the door to the rest of the building made from brick with a reinforced steel door; sturdy and functional. Eko grinned and while Talon hadn’t gotten up yet, he launched up off of the vent, this fight was already getting fun and it was only a few moves in. Utilizing the split seconds it takes to recover and move from the stance Talon ‘kneeled’ in inside the crater, Eko flipped midair right over Talon and brought his right leg out keeping the rest of him tucked close to his body. He aimed to slam his heel into the back of Talon’s head with enough force to disorient him at the very least. “Take that, Superman!" If this technique was blocked or caught he'd twist his body and slam his other foot into Talon's side. If not he'd follow up with a front flip and land in a crouched position to simply swing his body around and attempt to kick Talon's knee out from under him.

A Man Who Feels No Pain
Eko: As soon as Eko landed, missing his intended punch and the subsequent leg sweep, he had to figure something else out, Talon was going to kick his ass if he didn’t find a way to get around Talon’s abilities. When Talon decided to try and hit Eko upside the chin, Eko had other ideas and twisted around to the left, moving before Talon could come back down from his movements. “That wouldda hurt if I could feel pain!” In a swift, split second decision Eko continued his motions and since the leg sweep failed, Eko this time aimed a swift, strong, flat footed kick to the side of Talon’s right knee inward towards his left knee. If Talon didn’t dodge or block the kick; which would be hard to attempt because of Talon still in motion; depending on his durability his knee would blow out and cause his balance to falter and send him off balance. If the attack went through, Eko would twist back around to the front of Talon, attempt to grab onto his neck and pull Talon’s head down toward Eko’s knee that he raised up simultaneously. This fight was important for him, he didn’t want to show to his new boss that he wasn’t all he was cracked up to be, Eko was a helluva fighter and that’s what he wanted Talon to see. If this came to Talon beating the shit out of Eko, then so be it. He’d go down punching, kicking and screaming all the way to unconscious land.

Talon: Talon's teeth clenched the moment he realized that his fist had connected with nothing but air instead of its intended target marked across Eko's chin. As his knuckles ascended into the air following the motion the rest of his body had performed in order to harden the punch, he could only mentally congratulate his newest disciple for the skill that he did possess. His movements were quite agile, even the amount of time it took for him to react to an attack was somewhat impressive; because Talon knew that in the future, combining his knowledge and harsh training with such natural skill would eventually turn Eko into a true catalyst of destruction. Filled with an even deeper lust for blood and power. With his eyes still lowered toward Eko, he spotted that his foot was now headed toward the inner portion of his left knee, but although his current position wouldn't exactly allow him to dodge the attack, he still knew what could be done. His right leg snapped outward a bit at the knee as simultaneously every muscle in that particular leg relaxed almost to the point where it felt slightly numb, which would allow Eko's foot to slam into his leg, but into an angle at the back of his knee that wouldn't have damaged his knee cap. As he felt the brunt of the hit, with his peak human durability coming into play, a kick like that would not cause him to completely lose his balance, but instead, his leg snapped outward, dropping him into a full split in front of his opponent (( Like so > http://s1.thcdn.com/design-assets/products/10240835/Karate3.JPG )). As he dropped in an instantaneous motion, Eko's attempts to grab his neck would have been narrowly avoided, but with his hands still reached forward Talon wouldn't wait even a second to snap into his next action. Rolling onto his back while slamming his gloved hands to the ground on either side of him, Talon's legs snapped up into the air above him, the right one extending straight upward with the attempt to kick Eko straight in the wrist. If his toes were to slam straight into that nerve point, Eko's wrist would instantly lose motor control and would be too numb to maneuver for a period of time ((I'll say like two posts or some shit. )) With his hands having been extended forward in order to grab Talon's neck, the time in which the counter was performed would have matched that, meaning unless he was lightning fast, it would be nearly impossible to have moved his right hand out of the way of the kick seeing as though it was performed while he was still in motion. Following up this counter instantly, Talon would roll further back onto his shoulders, propping his hands beneath him in order to push himself up into a handstand as he began to spin on them, extending both of his legs out into another split so that as he spun, they would literally look like the propellers on a helicopter. He'd spin so fast that his movements appeared only to be a blur, the wind stirring around him in a harsh cyclone as his feet would come at Eko in the blink of an eye. First his left foot would slam so hard into the side of Eko's head that if the hit were to connect, he'd have the spit knocked out of his mouth as well as his jaw snapped out of place to hang crookedly at the bottom of his face. Talon's other foot would follow without a second of warning to crash hard against Eko's rib cage on the same side of his body, with enough force to send microfractures rupturing through three rows in the center, at the same time his body would be sent rocketing sideways from the impact of the second kick. Only it would not move more than a few inches to the side before Talon's body would swivel in the opposite direction, swinging his heel back in the same helicopter motion as was previously performed in order to slam it with excruciating force against Eko's left shoulder, which, on top of landing hard enough to throw him sideways exactly twenty feet across the roof, would also be enough to dislocate it with a loud CRACK! If these attacks were to follow through, Talon would slam his right hand into the ground, balancing all of his weight on that one hand as his legs hung in the air above his head (( Like so > http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/ostill/ostill1112/ostill111200346/11766422-one-caucasian-man-yoga-handstand-gymnastic-acrobatics-full-length-studio-isolated-on-white-backgroun.jpg )) but with his head lifted to look at Eko. From the time that Talon had rolled onto his back to perform his kicking motions to when he stopped them, exactly four seconds would have passed, meaning it would have been incredibly difficult for Eko to predict, dodge or block all of the attacks. However, if he did manage to block or dodge the first kick to his wrist or any others after that, Talon would continue with his helicopter assault, only he'd lower his body to spin on his shoulders, which would allow him to aim his attacks lower, slamming one leg into the side of Eko's calve muscle in order to knock him off balance and kick his legs right out from under him. Which would be followed not even a second later, by Talon using his hands to push himself back up into a full handstand before flipping forward to slam both of his heels straight down into Eko's body, had he fallen from the legsweep. Once again, if his heels slammed into Eko, he'd be plunged down into another crater as the concussive force of the attack would knock the wind out of him as well as send micro fractures rupturing through his ribcage if his heels were to connect with his torso. 'If he truly does not feel pain,' Talon thought to himself throughout his series of attacks. 'Then bringing out his inner demon must take more...extreme means.'

The Awakening
Eko: Pain shot through his wrist. Wait was that right? Pain? He smiled for the instant his hand shot upward due to the kick and couldn't react in time to the helicopter assault. His jaw dislocating and his hand numb as started to rocket to the right. He managed a half laugh as he saw the other leg coming and was shot across the roof his body bouncing and rolling as he felt his shoulder dislocate but as he bounced he landed at just the right angle to push it back into place making his body roar with that exquisite pain. he lay on his back for merely a moment before sitting up and moving his hand to his jaw popping it back into place with a loud crack. "Ow." He open and closed his mouth testing it for a second and got to his feet smiling. Pain.... Real pain... He hadn't felt such a rush since... since his training as a child. "You want blood lust!? I'll show you blood lust!" It felt as if the pressure in the air around Eko shifted visibly the sheer pressure of his chi releasing causing a slight disturbance. He began to breathe heavily black clouds like breathe in cold air began to exit his mouth as flakes of black carbon began to swirl around him. "Let me return the favor boss. You gave me this exquisite pain. Time for me to show you how much I appreciate it!" His eyes turned red as the ash began to burn him form burn scars on his body burning through his clothes. The ash swirled around his right hand before hardening and forming a large round spiked ball around it the carbon layering and layering until it was as strong as Carbon steel. the heat and pressure of his chi cause this steel to harden even further as he suddenly launched forward his body twisting as he swung his right hand [the injured one] limply using his full weight and momentum to swing it in a last ditch effort to smash into Talon's face.

The Claws of Death
Talon: Pushing off on the tips of his fingers, Talon flipped back onto his feet, landing in a crouched position while keeping his eyes on Eko. He'd watched as his attack succeeded to strike the younger male, sending him tumbling and rolling harshly across the roof at a pace that would have broken any normal man's bones, but it was clear that Eko was no ordinary human being. Rising to his full height of 6'3, Talon narrowed his eyes as he listened to Eko speak after standing and popping his jaw back into place, his lengthy, yet toned arms calmly lowering to his sides. He was silent as he saw the air pressure burst around Eko's form, the black smoke leaving his lips as well as the reddish glow that had overtaken his normal eye color. “As it was suspected,” He spoke in an even tone, his hair billowing across his features with the disturbance of the wind sweltering about the roof top. “Your blood lust is what creates that entity inside you. You've had it all along, but the perfect stimulus was needed in order to bring it out. Yet and still, Onikage Eko,” He paused as he noticed the ash burning the male's skin, forming around his injured hand to create what appeared to be a large, spiked ball that looked hard as steel. “The abilities you've harbored from the power of this entity does not determine the true potential of your blood lust.” He braced himself as Eko charged at him, brandishing that newly formed carbon steel ball of his. “Your true potential is determined...” As Eko swung his hand along with the weight of his body forward, Talon would simply skid sideways out of the way of the incoming weapon as well as lean his upper body sideways slightly as the carbon steel ball would whoosh by the side of his face by barely inches. At the same time, his leg would lift out beside him as if to perform a side kick in attempt to slam it so hard into Eko's midsection that, if connected, the younger male's body would literally fold right around the limb. The combination of Eko's running momentum along with the enhanced power behind the kick would have been devastating. As everything would move in slow motion and the sound of Eko's ribcage shattering from the inhumanly powerful force of the kick could be heard by both males, Talon would calmly finish his statement by saying, “When it becomes your only hope of escape....from the claws of DEATH!” He hissed that last word loudly as, with Eko's body still wrapped around his leg, Talon would spin his body around on the foot remaining on the ground as if to perform a spinkick, but would use the awful momentum to launch Eko's body clean through the air, several feet off of the ground so that he would not tumble or roll across the room. If connected, his body would have went rocketing through the air so fast that the wind would burst after the motion, blasting him so far that he would soon fly clean over the edge of the roof to plummet to the streets below. He would fall like a meteor past all fifty stories of the tower where their fight had taken place, only for his form to crash through the roof of a parked vehicle, causing a powerful shockwave to burst outward with enough force to send any nearby cars, people and objects flying away from the area. Talon would walk to the edge of the roof, his hair billowing against his features as he stared down at Eko's form. Though what he had done was enough to kill any other opponent, he had faith in Eko. He saw the potential in him that he did not see in most, and that potential was going to be the very thing that saved him during this trail. “Onikage Eko,” He spoke as his right hand lifted beside him, his palm opening to reveal the appearance of a small flame that soon expanded into a large, floating orb of crackling, hot fire. “Let your blood lust and rage.....consume you....like fire!” Raising the hand above his head, he thrusted it straight downward with all of his might, but instead of aiming it directly at Eko knowing that would have only blown him to pieces, the orb would shoot down all fifty stories to crash into one of the vehicles that had been laid to waste by the shockwave. A large explosion would have engulfed the area for a fifteen foot diameter almost instantly with a loud boom that seemed to rock the entire city block below, and Eko would seem to vanish in the roaring flames, causing anyone who had witnessed this to be mortified. Talon's reaction would be the opposite, his eyes cold as steel as he then turned away from the edge of the roof, the heels of his Oxfords clicking calmly along its surface as he made his way toward where his jacket lay, scooping it up to toss onto his shoulder.