Post by Wakana Waka on Jul 25, 2020 11:40:11 GMT -8
I AM THE LAW | 2 Star Mission (4000 Words Requirement)- The children and grandchildren of a highly important corporate leader have settled in one of the suburban areas in the lawless zone beyond West City’s or the World Government’s control and beyond the reach of the Northern Demon Kingdoms. This wouldn’t be an issue, but they also refuse the assistance of any corporate soldiers as protection, and recently a mobster like organization has moved in to set up shop as feudal lords. Go save the township from their grasp and protect the corporate leader’s family. They’ll pay you for this mission of their’s.
Blow to the left shoulder – no problem.
Kick to the hip – twist to block.
Body blow – pointless.
Haymaker – block with the forearm.
Jabs to the head – forearm again.
Clothesline – bow low, let it scuff over the ears.
Knee to the chest –
Cross to the head –
Chop to the neck –
Hook to the head –!
Waka’s endurance was wearing thin – and, this wasn’t getting her anywhere. Backed into a corner, her situation was terrible… as much pride as she had in her toughness, just taking hits didn’t solve anything. She hadn’t gotten an opening, or worn out any of the group; their morale was just improving the more she let them wail on her. She’d have to make a move. She was hoping to wait patiently until she could make a decisive strike, but instead… it’d have to do.
The short girl with the rabbit ears – and, more importantly, the lightning-fast left arm – came in close again – but, her strike was deflected, as Waka took a step forward; raising her stance despite the other blows heading for her. The beastman’s arm went high to deflect, but then turned forward like a claw; while the step forward forced the huge girl right into her foes’ space. Only an inch or two between them… for most martial arts, the only good options would be to make space or consider a grapple. But, this was where Bājíquán belonged. The tiger reared, and then struck.
The elbow flew with ridiculous force in the small space, exploding into the girl’s chest and blowing her back – which was perhaps for the best, as that force shoved her just out of the way of the ki blast that followed; a wide explosion of energy that sent the other two stumbling back. As the park felt the rare rumble, dirt was tossed up from the ground around the blast, and a smattering of leaves fluttered down from the trees around her. Not exactly the serene martial art from a movie… well, that could wait until Waka was meditating, not while she was being pummelled. But, Waka couldn’t take satisfaction in the turnaround just yet. It didn’t come close to evening the odds. She’d been roughed up too much already. What a pain… still, she’d made some room. Best to capitalise on it.
No doubt any Saiyan would scoff and any amount of other punks would mock, but Waka was more smart than stubborn – sometimes. As the trio considered how to re-engage, the beastman chose the opposite. Turning tail, Waka inelegantly threw herself into a sprint; dropping to all fours to get the best start she could. She wasn’t exactly dextrous by any stretch, especially with her figure, but she still shot off in spite of her damage. Her foes weren’t far behind, but… she had some ideas. She needed to get some reach, most of all...
Dashing through the bushes, Waka’s build helped out considerably – the groundskeeper wouldn’t appreciate it, but with her size she could just bulldoze through the undergrowth. Of course, the punks behind her would find it just as easy after her lead. But, that was okay. The huge fox was fine with giving them some confidence, but she was more eager to give them a park bench. Swung like a baseball bat, Waka showed them another benefit to her size… punches, kicks, and blasts; you could mix them up all you liked, but they took a lot of time and work before they compared to just being slugged with a table. And, after that, her company didn’t seem too keen on coming back for a further demonstration, judging by the rustling bushes and yelps…
Unfortunately, while she was roughed up, Waka couldn’t afford to relish the victory. This was just a distraction. Letting the bench roll out of her arms and back to the ground, the heavy fox wheezed for just a few seconds before charging off again. They’d no doubt go sound the alarm now…
Of course, Waka was dealing with West City’s punks again – albeit this time, she was playing a good guy for a change. On the outskirts to the West of the city’s suburbs, out of the usual reach of the World Government, Capsule Corp’s security, and even the Northern Demon Kingdoms’ territory; a crew had decided to go for a power grab. Waka had dealt with them before… they weren’t tough, but they were organised. They wouldn’t make a play like this without a plan. And in this case, that plan included the Abbatantuono family head’s granddaughter. Waka knew her all too well, as her most consistent work for the old crime family was actually just keeping her entertained. But this time, it seemed her job would be a little more involved than that…
Her target – shutting up the ‘Whitefangs’. A group of beastmen, they had plenty of beef with Capsule Corp’s surveillance and security laws, and had taken rebellion against it into their own hands. Waka would honestly not disagree with them under any other circumstances, but in this case they’d made a power play against a smaller target than the corporation itself in order to gain ground… and, well, she didn’t approve of it. That, and she’d learned a little while haunting around other crews – most of the ‘Fangs’ were just paid out by the companies they complained about; which explained why they’d sprung up so suddenly. She couldn’t say if that was wrong, though… she had a paycheck on the line, too. And, Adelaide, she was just… a bonus, or something…
She didn’t care for it. It was just a job, right? It’d be tough. And, she didn’t like the punks. She liked the little girl, so she was just doing it for herself. If it’d been anyone else, she wouldn’t have cared a bit. Maybe she’d even be on the other side of the equation. She wasn’t some hero…
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Though she didn’t have time to lose, Waka took a little time to case her target. The ‘Whitefangs’ had holed up in the local library, and it was quite the impressive building despite the meagre town around it. A lot of these books were available in digital form nowadays, but books were still popular; particularly after Capsule Corp started marketing them as more of a collectible than a tool in recent years. Waka herself… she liked them, honestly. She’d lurked in libraries in the past, to make some time for herself. It was good for calming her down, and she enjoyed a good fictional tale. A good romance novel was so inspiring… though, sometimes she’d hide behind something more conventional…
Despite her utter lack of stealth, she at least attempted a quiet approach. Not slow, but she was pretty sure there were just a few of them – maybe seven? Alas, a glance through a window disproved that… at least ten, if she bundled in the trio she’d fought with before. They were spread around, too, not just chatting away or plotting anything. They were on-guard… obnoxious. Sure, Waka was tough, but after the prior scuffle, she really didn’t think she could handle seven more, plus whoever came back for another round. Most of them looked like they were mere rookies, teens looking for a way to lash out, but a few were serious thugs like herself… ugh, why’d she get into this?
Another glance through the grandiose arched windows of the building told her why – that pale skin, meticulously combed white hair, and that frilly pale pink dress. Adelaide… while Waka begged the adjective ‘gruff’, she suited ‘fragile’. Waka didn’t consider herself a softy, but for all her bad blood with the actual head of the Abbatantuono, she liked the girl a lot. It wasn’t pity for her muscular dystrophy, nor her pathetic stamina, nor her tiny size, nor her poor relations with her family… she was just a good kid. Eager and chipper, and willing to talk Waka’s ear off without a complaint. She even called her half-hearted Bājíquán ‘so cool’. Waka didn’t hang out with her for the paycheck, or the reputation, or to look good… she hung out with her because she was…
…whatever. Getting misty eyed was a waste of time. She had to play her hand.
As she heard chatter through the walls and the sound of the front doors bursting open, Waka tried to calm herself and clear her mind. It seemed like time was up. Despite the drama, she just focussed on her deep breathing… and slowly, slowly, let her ki out. It sparked, billowed, and fumed; her emotions were plucked and played; but she powered through – her serenity would not be moved. She tamed that pink ki, and pulled it deep into her… and grew. Well, she definitely wasn’t going to be subtle for any longer, now that her eye-line was halfway up the three-story building…
She’d gotten better at this; far better; but her power was still chained down. Hopefully the shock and awe be more than enough for this… but time would tell. Time, and the shouting and snarling from past the walls. She merely turned her apathetic gaze to the oversized windows, and wrangled with her ki for control. For once, she needed a lighter touch. Ah, well… Adelaide always said she thought her Giant Form was so cool; time to give her a demo.
The pros of being a rogue agent instead of some narc were clear, though; as Waka felt no remorse over smashing a gaping hole into the building with her shoulder – however, she had to be a little more gentle than that. With her best kaiju impression, she reached through the window over the would-be leaders of this little (comparatively) crew, and plucked her prize from the crowd. Adelaide herself looked as pale as the rest – but, well, that was sort of normal for her; while the others clearly had been expecting the authorities instead. They’d planned for the opposite of side of the kaiju movie, alas. No amount of improvised barricades were going to stop this…
But, Waka wasn’t here for a fight; instead looking a little ridiculous as she held the tiny Earthling (tinier than usual, in this case) like a pet mouse in her hands. She tried to step back, but was being a bit too careful; her hesitance earning her a battering from an opening rain of laser fire. It’s not like they could miss… they’d been blindsided by a fox the size of a block of flats. She could take this much, but it made her focus unsteady, and that couldn’t be good with Adelaide in her arms! She merely looked a little annoyed in response to the fire, but didn’t bother with any retribution. She had to flee while she could maintain her form. And so, without a hint of grace, the giantess attempted to dash back after a few stumbles; leaving trees shaking and bushes crushed in her wake…
More laser fire was quick to greet her, but it seemed like the Whitefangs were having a hard time trying to catch up – a few had considered jumping out the window, but going from the third story wasn’t the best move. Waka was hardly fast, and utterly impossible to miss, but she didn’t exactly have to worry about any terrain beneath her. She made a bit of room between herself and the crew, enjoying the chance to cut loose a bit… though, the locals were quick to start opening their doors and staring at the ridiculous sight as she attempted to use the occasional house as spectacularly poor cover. G-Guh… she thought she’d be mad about this mess, but right now she was just self-conscious…
”S-Sorry, ‘bout this…” mumbled Waka to her quarry, as she nearly tripped again; having to stumble and hop over a tin fence to keep the girl in one piece. She took a few hits, so the group were still in pursuit, but she did have a plan in mind… kinda. Right now, she just had to keep her emotions running high so she could make the most of this form! But… that was proving kinda tough… particularly as ki beams now followed her, as some of the Whitefangs gave up their pursuit to charge much nastier attacks. She could feel her composure crumbling, and her ki begging for release; but she had priorities! ”Ah, ‘nd, sorry I took so long… but, let’s hope for the best bef’re chattin’ too much…!”
Her tour of the town’s skyline ended abruptly, unfortunately – it wasn’t even the potshots at her that slowed her down, but instead a brook. That park was nothing but trouble! She wasn’t stupid; she didn’t try and step on the tiny wooden bridge; but she expected the tiny stream to just have dirt edges… instead, the particular part she stepped on had stone. Now, for anyone else, this might just mean some bruising, but in this form? Down she went! M-Maybe she’d even broken her ankle! Her weight totally buckled under her… like she was diving for a catch in baseball, she toppled forward with Adelaide in her outstretched hand…!
With a thunderous crash of splintering wood, tossed dirt, and the wails of the local council who witnessed it all; Waka went face-first into the park again… and, to the relief of the council, was back to her normal height at the end of it all. Thankfully, the transformation had reverted form her legs up, too; so she didn’t end up knee-deep in the brook with Adelaide sitting a twenty metres away – instead, she was left looking like the world’s worst prince with the flummoxed tiny girl in her arms. Finally giving up the form made her feel a bit better… but then the weight of all that abuse along the way fell upon her shoulders. She’d pushed herself way too hard… and, that searing pain going up her leg was probably the sign of something worse than just fatigue.
Groaning in a mix of regret and frustration, the fox tried to heave herself up onto her knees. It hurt… ah, she looked so tough, for sure; but that didn’t mean all that didn’t hurt! Her tail was fried, her muscles were aching, and there was no way she was using her Majin ki again in a while. ”D-Dammit… I’m a wreck.” rumbled the girl; now less huge, but still huge. Particularly compared to the girl who was now standing over her head, with a serious frown on her face.
“Waka! You’ve been a bad girl!”
”G-Guh?”
Looking up to see the tiny Earthling waving a finger scoldingly with her other hand on her hips – well, the fox was distracted from her pain, at the very least. She’d always known Adelaide was so fiery in spite of her myriad of illnesses, but this was a bit much.
“You totally overdid it! I know you’ve been struggling with your super form! You shouldn’t go using it while you’re already roughed up!” snapped the girl; only a third of Waka’s size even now, yet making the fox’s ears pin back like a spooked puppy. “I would be just fine for a while longer… you have to take care of yourself, Waka! Geez… you’re so self-centred!”
”Y-Yeah… I kinda, messed up…” whined the fox, before wasting a few seconds and only blinking – then the situation caught up with her again. ”Hey, hey. You should scamper! Keep your head down. I don’t exactly blend into a crowd, and I can’t just jack a car on command…” Sitting up properly, she at least tried to fold her arms and look annoyed; but the soreness coursing down her shoulders made it look a little more pitiful than that. ”Your grandad’s chucking a tantrum about you, kitten. You scarper… I’ll give you my phone, and you can call someone in. I’ll… I’ll keep the hounds busy…”
The smaller girl pouted and fumed, but her demeanour softened as Waka stood up, and gave an involuntary vulpine whine as she struggled to manage it… but, she shook it off, passing Adelaide her phone and looking away. However, when she looked back, the hostage-come-heroine was still standing there. “Wakana… well, I’ll call someone, but I’m staying with you. You don’t look good…”
”That’s not the point! I’m tough – I can handle anything…!” snapped Waka, her temper finally flaring up. She loomed over Adelaide, even as she wheezed. She wasn’t wounded or nothing! She was just tired… it didn’t matter! She could hunker down, or get pummelled plenty more, or get left in a ditch – this kid couldn’t handle a stiff breeze! ”Scarper, now! I don’t need you!”
The smaller girl went more white than usual as the beastman snarled. She hesitated, stood her ground on trembling legs… but, when she noticed Waka’s clenched fists, she darted away.
But, the fox had no regrets.
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She’d been hunkered down for a few hours now. Waka had intended to go pick some more fights, but she was just too tired… she couldn’t even rush around right now; her leg was definitely busted. Now, she was no puppy; she could take that pain! B-But… she wasn’t about to go running on a bad leg. Wouldn’t be the first time, but also wouldn’t be a smart idea by any stretch. She was still furious – mostly at herself, as usual – but she was still rational, too.
So, she was still in the park, nursing her wounds and sulking. She could even still see her little path of destruction… she didn’t want to go too far, since she was meant to be giving some cover; but she couldn’t exactly stand out in the open while she was injured like this. She couldn’t even focus… after she’d shoved Adelaide off, she’d totally burnt out. The pain and fatigue left her exhausted, and the temptation to rest was too much… but, she’d just conked out and in a few times, rather than actually snoozing.
What a miserable situation…
”Ah, we’ve caught our fox.”
…and it could only get more miserable.
Waka’s gaze rolled around to the sound of the voice, bleary-eyed but annoyed. Of course, it was those punks… albeit looking oddly restrained. And, just four of them this time… that rabbit-eared girl from earlier, the mask-wearing wolf punk who called himself the boss, and a pair of avians – one who had just a few feathers, the other who looked far more bird than bro. Frustratingly, they all looked pleased to see her, though it was certainly more of a sneer. Not that Waka was expecting a smile and a wave…
With a tiny sigh, the fox considered her options. Well… time to put up, or shut up. She got forced herself into her strong knee, and slowly dragged herself back onto her foot – albeit using the tree trunk as a support. She soon –
”No need to get up! We’re here to negotiate, actually.”
The fox just groaned with frustration yet again. Seriously? Her usually apathetic expression couldn’t hide it anymore; she was just so sick of this nonsense. Just put her in the ground already! She wasn’t afraid of crawling out of a gutter again. She’d take it over having her ear talked off like this any day.
”Look, we’ve scuffled and spat, and it’s clear you’re a rough customer. But, you’re beastman, too. You’re acting under orders, right? Are you really satisfied with that? You put your face on the line for some rich brat up in a mansion or a senate seat.” The wolf sauntered a little closer as he spoke, but Waka was nonplussed – she’d heard this before. ”We probably can’t pay you like them. But, we can give you a purpose! Ambition. Fighting for something important… you crave that, don’t you? You know how it is to be looked down on…”
And, it was true. They weren’t wrong. Sometimes being a beastman totally sucked. Even Waka could admit that. But, she’d made her choice. Movements, rebellions, politics and all – she refused to be a part of it. She lived for herself, no one else. ”Sorry, mongrel. I’m not interested in ideals. I do what I want.” She knew she was cruising for another bruising, but that was more tolerable than more of this pointless banter. ”I don’t have anything for or against your plotting, but I have to get paid. You kids just rack off now.”
”You really don’t care? Ah…” The beastman paused, tapping his chin. But, he shrugged, and turned away. ”Yeah, we messed up here. But, that’s the glory of the Whitefangs. We’ll be around, so long as there’s a need for us. We can always be proud of that. I guess that’s not that much different to thugs like yourself. Well, do us a favour and talk about us, and we’ll call all this fuss even.”
She was never going to be riled up with such weak efforts. Honestly, she felt more calm now.
”Sure. I’ll catch you around, then.”
And, unbelievably, with that… they left her alone. The girl was the first to storm off, clearly unimpressed by the way things had gone, but then even the leader gave her just a casual wave before slinking away. The avian duo were last to leave –
”Cashed-up wannabe.”
”Another try-hard hero.”
Thoughts of home – or rather, what she had once called home – trickled through Waka’s mind. She wasn’t going to just be set off by that… but, the fury at herself and the world in her heart was still boiling. She could feel it. Her ki sparked at her hands, begging to be released; begging for her to explode. The time bomb in her head was ticking down… no, simply, the firing hammer in her mind had already been pulled. It was just a matter of time.
A long time ago, her ‘hero’ had told her about their powers.
So happy, so proud. That anger wasn’t evil, it could be a tool.
That Majin and their emotions worked in tandem; a beautiful magic.
Those tales of heroic outbursts and interventions, driven by the heart.
But for Waka…
All she could see was red.
She was starving.
The pain drifted away, along with her serenity. The Majin ki answered her call, eagerly this time; she didn’t need to mould it to her will. The storming step forward; the signature Zhen Jiao; should have been painful – the elbow rush, even more so – but, she felt only the impact. No, even that was so ephermal. Two became four, but by then, Waka could barely tell…
All that remained was the sweet aftertaste.
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”Y-You, you…!”
”She’s – w-whuh? W-What’d she – boss?! Boss?!”
”I told you she was a Majin… now look! What a freak…!”
The warmth of the sunshine, the cool breeze; and a sense of utmost satisfaction.
Waka came back to her senses from the slow, sugary haze. What had been rage, was replaced with something more surreal. She felt refreshed! Fulfilled. Still injured, but hardly unwell. The pain was numb, nearly unnoticeable. Everything felt so small and insignificant compared to her right now. Like a rush of adrenaline, but of serenity and pride instead.
Ah… and there were just three backs turning away from her…
The fox gagged – she could still taste it. The sweet taste, the mix of flavours, and… most of all, how full she felt. That wasn’t a common feeling for her, especially not like this… the only thing she could possibly compare it to, was…
Waka buckled to her knees, even in spite of her broken leg – s-she could still feel it, trickling down her throat. She’d never felt this before, yet she knew precisely what this was… this was a Majin’s true power; what she’d restrained. Restrained until now…
…t-they’d been right, after all. That power – was not for her. She couldn’t handle it. She…
S-She knew she didn’t want to be a hero, but…
…she wasn’t sure if she wanted to be a monster, either.
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