"As you wish." the assassin said in regards to the money. He was in no position to negotiate or make demands. This was his mistake, and so he would accept any terms to make up for it. As for the offer, well, Han obviously would accept it as well. He took the offered hand and shook it to seal the deal, "Until the truth is discovered and justice served, I am at your disposal." for all the calm and philosophical verbose he'd displayed previously, here he was instead direct and to the point. He always did find it important to distinguish how he conversed with others casually versus how he did so in business.

There were fireworks in the distance. The festival was in full swing, though it did nothing to alleviate the tension in this particular scene, "Perhaps we could discuss the details indoors somewhere? I'm still rather soaked from my unexpected swim, and a chance to dry off would be appreciated." even as he spoke, he found himself wringing water out of parts of his gi as much as he could, but as he said he would need a chance to get out of the clothes altogether to truly dry off.

There was also something else, an inkling deep in the back of Han's mind. Something else about this contract didn't sit well with him. He was not the only assassin in existence, and so going to all the trouble of framing this man as an evil individual just to goad Han into striking him down felt very much like more trouble than it was worth. So why, then, did this particular client go to such lengths? If Han were a more arrogant sort, he would have assumed it was due simply to his skill level making him more sought after, but of course he did not actually entertain such delusions of grandeur. Perhaps he was just overthinking this?

The festival went perfectly. The tournament broadcast reached across the galaxy. Martial artists the cosmos over cheered. It was a day to remember for sure, but even the best things come to an end.

It was the next day, and the sky was blue. The grass was still green, and the world kept spinning. Life was returning to normal, or was it... ?

Twenty hours had passed, and in that time, Niko had been busy, alongside Wu Han. Let's break it down.

That night, as the fireworks went up, Wu had suggested that they talk and discuss what they knew, pool their respective information. He also needed a chance to dry off from the unfortunate dip in the ocean. As it was Niko's fault that he'd gotten soaked in the first place, he offered use of his tournament competitor quarters. They couldn't leave the island without some private transportation until the morning, anyway, so that seemed like the right move. The assassin agreed, and soon he was taking care of his side of things as they spoke. Wu described the man from their meeting, what he was like and how he reacted to things. All business, without a doubt, which said a great deal to Niko. The soldier soon filled Wu in on what he thought was really going on.

He started with his exact purpose in coming here to the World Martial Arts Tournament, the original one, anyway. He needed the money to fund a thorough investigation of the tragedy that was the RAMI Explorer tragedy, to discover what really happened aboard that ship. Not the accident that every expert would weigh their reputation against the possibility, not when hey had afforded every precaution and taken along experienced safety inspectors. Not with Derek and Ariel Renzo giving their thumbs up... Niko had been looking for information, or trying to find ways to gain it outside of any potential interference from the Martian Mining Corporation, the #1 suspect for the explosion of their rival's ship bound for Mars. They had the right motivation, gambling alot of futures that could make or break a company. So much to win and everything to lose... The possibility was inescapable, but there was just no proof.

That was why, though, that Niko thought this man was an employee of the MMC. He was a suit, a man who didn't indulge in pleasantries or seem interested in any subject except for the matter at hand, which was eliminating Niko Renzo. Even if he wasn't. Even if he was a hired go-between, it didn't matter because regardless of WHO he worked for, this would lead to the true client, and that's what was important. Everything having been explained, the two men would sleep until the morning, eat as necessary before the first boat out, and check the dockmasters to see if the man had left.

The answer, of course, was a definite YES. He left for the mainland in China yesterday, soon after delivering the job and the money. This made things more difficult, but not only was Niko starting to believe he could do it, but it happened that Wu Han knew the country rather well. He may've had a day's head start, but the man in question was still wasn't that nationality, but something a bit more West. They could track him, they could confront him, and they could get the truth out of him. For Niko's part, he suggested to Wu that they try a ploy in the assassin desiring to know more about the client so that they could do continued business for more satisfying targets like that one. If he didn't convince the man, Niko would step in out of nowhere and say that he could tell Wu Han, or that he could spend a few minutes explaining it to HIM, instead!

They would definitely have the information, and soon.

The majority of the night was spent in conversation. Han learned of Niko's story and his true reasoning for entering the Tournament. The RAMI Explorer tragedy was not something Han was overly familiar with. He'd heard the headlines before, but that was all. At least until this very night. Niko was pretty certain that the MMC were the ones who arranged the hit, which if true, would confirm his suspicions about the tragedy itself. Together they reasoned that should they question the man Han negotiated with, they may be able to get a name or identification out of him. But that would have to wait until morning.

During the night, as he slept, Han had a dream of when he was young boy, still in training. His father was instructing him at the family estate, and held nothing back. Again and again, he threw the young Han to ground, each time ordering him to attack again. Soon Han was getting exhausted, and it seemed like his father was about start losing patience as well. But an elderly voice stayed the father's frustration. It was Wu Yanzeng, Han's great-grandfather and the one who had trained Han's father. He couldn't walk, and instead had been wheeled forward in a wheelchair by Miwa, his personal attendant. With a soft smile, he suggested that Han's father give the boy a break, that he was exhausted and needed rest. With a sigh, Han's father reluctantly agreed, having stated that he some work that needed taken care of anyway. Once alone, Han conversed with his great-grandfather, them taking a peaceful walk through the gardens of the estate. Yanzeng had offered a bit sagely advice to Han that day, and he never forgot it.

When he awoke, Han whispered the words to himself, "No matter how hard he tries to push me, he'll never make me into something I am not."

Through the morning, he and Niko had a short breakfast before hurrying to catch the ferry. The contract had instructed Han to report the success of the kill by calling a specified pager number, and then meeting the contact at a predetermined address in Hong Kong. So, Han essentially suggested he call the number in order to draw out their target under the pretense of completing the contract and transaction, and they could nab him then. He was certain to ask for proof of the kill, but by that point they should theoretically be able to spring their trap. While Han approached the target, the plan was for Niko to wait in a secluded spot they would scout for ahead of time. Han would then lead the target toward that spot where they could take him by surprise and hopefully not make too much of splash with what they were doing.

It had now been twenty hours since their sparring match the previous night. The address itself was for a resort hotel, and the meeting would take place within its open bar. With what time they had, Han and Niko were able to find a decent enough spot to set their trap in, which was a narrow alleyway between the hotel and it's neighboring buildings. Nearby of course, was a vehicle they rented to transport their target with. As Han came near to the opening of the bar, he could make out the familiar figure of the business man he had met the previous day. So far so good. But before Han took any more stops, he noticed something else that made him freeze in his tracks.

The target wasn't alone. Someone was seated next to him at the bar, appearing to be talking with him. He also appeared to wear a suit, but he was nothing like the target. His suit looked far more expensive, and also had less subtle colors to it. It was mostly white, but appeared to possess red, fiery splashes of color along the hem and edges of the sleeves. He looked about middle aged, perhaps in his mid to late forties. His face bore a rather distinct scare going along the upper left corner of the forehead and ran along across the bridge of his nose and stopping somewhere in the midpoint of his right cheek. An object leaned against the inner wall of the bar next to its legs. It was a sword, a Katana to be exact. And to make all of this worse, the man was someone that Han recognized.

Oh no... what's he doing here?

He couldn't walk in there now, not with him in there. The representative might be fooled by Han's ploy but the man sitting with him? He'd expose it in a heartbeat. Han took a breath, resolving himself not to panic. They were probably discussing a separate contract or something, surely. If these people were anything like what Niko suspected, then such a side business was surely not out of the question. So, instead of going in immediately, Han found his own hiding place. There he would wait, until the man with the sword took his leave. Thankfully, he did so after a few minutes. He walked outside, sword at his side, and even stopped mere yards away from where Han had hidden himself. Thankfully, the man was also on his cellphone and so he payed no attention to his surroundings as he walked away. After another minute or two, Han breathed a sigh of relief and finally went to enter the bar.

"Ah, there you are, you almost had me worried when you arrived late." the businessman said when he spotted Han enter. He gestured for Han to sit but Han declined.

"I'm afraid I can't stay. But the deed is done."

"Yes, but, well... you'll have to show me proof. You know how it is." the man said.

"Of course, the proof is in my car, we'll have to go outside to see it."

"Why couldn't you have just brought it with you? The proof is merely a photo, yes?"

"It's... more complicated than that, I'm afraid."

The businessman sighed, exasperated but at least satisfied with the story, "Oh, fine, then. Lead the way."

Despite the earlier snag, things were still going pretty well. Han could only hope they continued to as well once he and the target had reached the ambush point. Hopefully Niko was there and ready.

Angela had a good night's sleep to say the least. She had walked into that tournament a challenger and came out as its champion. It was thrilling, especially since she won the money necessary to get her mother and sister to the city. She was actually thinking about that when she was walking around, how were they even doing? Did they see the tournament? How were things with her... Father? She shook her head at the thought, hopefully her mother has already got a divorce going, she didn't want a single zeni going to that scumbag of a man.

Once that is all taken care of, and her family was settled, Angela hoped to keep her training up for the next tournament, whenever that is... Thinking about it, the money she won was a bit overboard for just moving to the city. Well, maybe they'll need it for finding a house, legal issues should her father start anything... Angela sighed at the thought and just pushed it to the back of her head. She'll leave those issues to future her.

In the meantime, she was heading to the airport. While she would like to stay a little longer on the island as she enjoyed the sights, she was eager to get back to her family. Her little sister was probably worried and missing her. She was already expecting to get tackled to the ground in a hug. She was knocked back to reality by a growling sound, her stomach. She grumbled about it, in her haste leaving the hotel she was staying at, she had forgotten breakfast. She sighed and looked around for something to eat, a slight detour, but she wasn't about to eat airport food for breakfast.

Bakuto wasn't as alone as he thought he was. From behind a cloud, Pan looked down on him. She no longer wore her festival attire. Instead, she wore a comfortably fitting red T-shirt with a sports bra underneath and black work out pants with black boots. Her hair was pulled back into a short ponytail. She looked like a proper tomboy again, or tom-woman, considering her age.

On the outside, she was apparently doing nothing but watching. On the inside however, she was having a telepathic conversation.

"I was sure this one was ready... until I saw him last night at the festival." She said disappointingly. "He really showed little self control."

"You're being too harsh." A deep man's voice responded. "You're grandfather wasn't a saint, and neither were you at this kids age."

Pan smiled, "It's funny hearing such kind words out of you. You used to be such a hard ass."

"Just go down there. He could be of use."

"Fine." She huffed.

Pan emerged from behind the clouds, the sun to her back, making it hard for Bakuto to see her. However, as she slowly descended, he could see more and more. First, she was a dot, then a indistinguishable figure, then a person, and finally (when she was close enough) he could finally make out who he was looking at.

She landed on the ground gracefully, almost as if she was wearing a parachute. Even then, people with parachutes don't usually land that smoothly. She half smiled and waved. "We need to talk." She said, as she casually walked across the arena toward Bakuto.

---

Meanwhile, on Angela's walk to the airport...

Angela was following her stomach, and it brought her to a mostly empty ramen shop. A woman had just ordered Togo and was walking away with her food.

The tan skinned shop keeper smiled as Angela approached, asking her, "What are you having today, champion? It's on the house! For you and your friend!"

At first, Angela didn't know what the man meant. She came here alone, didn’t she? That's when the older man with salt and pepper hair spoke up. When did he get there? Was he following her the whole time?

"I'll just have water." The man said gently. He then sat at one of the stools and looked over at Angela. "By all means, eat your fill. You deserve it. But please, sit down with an old man. I have a question for you." His eyes were calm and reassuring.

@BladeSS4 @Darkmoon Angel

As a trained sniper, Niko felt most comfortable being up and away from it all. It wasn't necessarily because he enjoyed taking people's lives away, but rather he thought of the detachment from the center of action helpful to his state of calm. It was very reminescent of using a plane to assault a ground target. The pilot does not feel the kind of pressure he would in aerial combat, with another guy firing missles their way. His brother was a decent pilot, so he knew the feeling right off when Niko described it. Anyway, the point of this was that Niko elected to take up position on a roof. It was generally out of the sight of people, it had a commanding view of the parking lot that WU would be taking their mark, and was a little hard for somebody to sneak up on him here. Of course, it wouldn't be a proper stake-out without an interruption, so there goes his cellphone with the ringtone he chose for the army. Sighing, he picked up.

"This is Niko. What's up?"

"Corporal Niko Renzo?"

"Speaking."

"This is Central Dispatch. We've just been notified that your brother, Lieutenant Jonathan Renzo, is currently hospitalized in critical condition-"

Niko's eyes shot open, his jaw going a little slack as the dispatcher relayed the news. Winger was alive, but he'd taken severe rib damage, hip damage, and broken his left arm. His entire respiratory system was traumatized from the impact, like he'd been hit be a large truck, but that wasn't the case at all. He was found in an alley too narrow for that.

"How did this happen?"

"We don't know, sir. He was found in an alley with an as-of-yet unidentified individual that we believe he shot to death. It's possible that this man had performed the deed himself, but with him being full of holes, we may never know."

Maybe not, but Niko had a suspicion. If they hired one assassin, why not two? One for each brother Renzo.

"Could you ask that someone watch over him? Police, if nobody else? I'll try to arrange something more permanent."

"Police are already watching him, due to the investigation of the man's death."

"Right, gotcha. Goodbye."

Those rotten bastards! They really were! It wasn't just him they wanted! They wanted the rest of the family wiped out to cover their trail! He was sure of it! Niko looked out from the roof, all sides, trying to find any sign of Wu. Not yet... Why? What was taking him? Agh, dammit... This couldn't wait. He had to make a call, himself. Winger needed proper protection, and besides, he might need to check up on...

"Athena? You alright? ...are you there?"

He'd dialed the number, got an answer, and then kind of a muffled groan. For a moment, he feared the worst, but then when he got "Hangover." in response and heard her hunting for some coffee, he was a bit more relieved. They hadn't gotten to her. No, apparently, the hair of the dog that bit you was all she had a fight with, really.

"I got to drinking last night after I covered my bet by buying rounds for the house. Sorry you didn't win, by the way, but then the girl ya lost to is really something, so don't feel bad."

"I don't, really. But that's not what I'm calling you about. I need you to do something for me, Athena. My brother's in the hospital and..."

He explained his situation, basically all that he knew in brief report. Athena listened while audibly drinking her coffee, and then...

"Oh, shit. I guess that was real, then."

"...what was real?"

"Well, I'm glad you told me this, Niko, because I just found a dead guy in my living room."

"WHAT?!"

"Dead guy, maybe late 20s, broken wrist, broken neck... Yeah, looks like I killed 'im last night. Too drunk to register what happened, and went right to sleep."

Niko was dumbfounded, then shocked, then angry. They DID try to kill his mentor, and the man they hired got to do it was ended in about half a second while his target was thoroughly intoxicated. He didn't know if that was a comment on Athena's skill or the other guy's lack of skill...or both! Just then, he noticed Wu Han with another man entering the parking lot.

"You do what you have to about that, but I need you to keep an eye on Winger in case he's still in danger. I gotta go now, g'bye!"

He almost dropped the phone, trying to jam it into his pocket, before slipping down to the ground via drain pipe. Wu Han would hear the sound of Niko speeding towards the business suit long before he did. At about the last second, he'd started to look back, but by that time, his legs had been swept out from underneath him and his body shoved to the ground by Niko's right hand. He'd basically grabbed him by the tie for that. If he'd shoved down at his head, the back of the man's skull would've caved in, and he was sorely tempted to. The client - or rather, the mouthpiece they sent to speak FOR the client - found his target - which is to say, Wu's target - scowling down at him.

"My brother is in the hospital and you hired this assassin to kill me. Or rather, you were told to do so. Now, I could've done alot worse, just now, but I didn't. Don't make me want to. Give up your client, and then go into hiding, for all I care. He's the one I want, not you."

The mention of 'He' was under the assumption that this man's boss was ultimately the CEO of the Martian Mining Corporation, Brett Tavors... He needed proof, though, and this was the most solid lead he'd gotten, as of late. Apart from a clandestined attack on the home office itself, Niko wasn't gonna get much better than this, he was sure.

---

The representative practically yelped in surprise at his sudden fall, or rather his near-fall. He was caught by Niko in time to avoid hitting the ground, but Niko himself was glaring down at him. At the question, the representative began to quiver. Of course he was scared out of his mind, but he did shoot a look at Han.

"You said it was-"

"I'd answer the question if I were you." Han said immediately, cutting the man off. Clearly Niko was in no mood for playing the runaround, and he looked a lot angrier than Han expected him to. Something must have come up, but that discussion would have to wait.

"You'll never find him, you know." said the suit between chattering teeth, "The money came through enough outside channels to be untraceable. Nothing will stop the contracts from being carried out!" he was making an attempt to still be defiant, but his shivers were betraying his fear of the situation.

Contracts? With an S? As in plural? That was unexpected. Who else could possibly be a target other than Niko? And who were the other assassins hired? Hopefully they would be able to get this information out of the suit. Han decided to speak up again, "You still haven't given us a name." he said, his tone cold and seemingly uncaring.

"Fine, fine!" said the suit, looking like he was about to throw himself to the wolves, "My client, it's-" a bright flash of light followed by a roaring motorbike engine silenced him.

"Get down!" Han shouted, and suddenly dived forward and tackled Niko to the ground. It was just in time too. The motorbike nearly ran them down. But they could just make out another sound, a rather sickening sound of flesh being cut open. The next thing the two knew, they saw the rider of the motorbike, coming to a halt and holding a bloodied katana in his hand. It was him, the sword-carrying man that had previously met with the suit earlier. And on the ground was the now decapitated body of the suit in question. He'd been silenced, that much was obvious.

"...Goda!" Han said, starting to go into a fighting stance. He clearly knew man, and now also would wear a look of frustration and worry on his face.

The man named Goda slowly wiped the blood from his blade before returning it to his sheath. After that, he shot Han what looked like friendly smile, although the look in his eyes made it clear that this apparent reunion was far from friendly, "Han, Han Han..." Goda said with a seemingly disappointed tone in his deep, gravelly voice. "Sparing your mark and helping him turn against your client? What kind of self-respecting assassin does that?"

"What I do is none of your concern, Goda." said Han, showing a genuine look of hate in his eyes for the first time since he'd met Niko, "And it's none of my father's, either. You can tell him that when you return to report to him."

Goda simply held up a wagging finger, "Tsk, tsk, tsk. You think just 'cuz you're the boss's favorite that means you get to mouth off like that? 'Fraid that's not how it works, kid." he twisted his neck a bit and some audible cracks and pops could be heard. Then he pointed a finger directly at Niko, "You gonna finish your job, or am I gonna have to do it for you?"

"The contract was mine alone, and I chose to reject it. You and my father have no say in what I do or don't do. Period." Han said, refusing to let himself be intimidated.

Goda simply shook his head, "Not the answer I wanted to hear, kid." he gave a fake exasperated sigh, "Guess you're just gonna have to learn the hard way, then." and as if on cue, 6 black clad figures emerged from various hiding places. They were dark gi's that looked strikingly similar to the one Han himself wore. In fact they were very nearly identical. That denoted only one thing, that these people had trained in the same place Han originally had.

"Fortunately for you, I'm bit busy. But my boys here are more than happy to finish the job. Oh don't worry, they're under orders not to kill you, Han. But the boss never said shit about roughing your ass up! Be seeing you!" he took off on the motorbike as the 6 assassins began to close in on Han and Niko.

"I'm sorry, Niko. This is my fault. It seems this mystery of ours involves my personal problems as much as it does your own." Han said, his tone apologetic, "I'll tell you more when we get out of this, I promise."

Angela had eventually found a ramen shop that was relatively empty, save for a lady who had just left with her order. She could go for a bowl right now so this was perfect, she walked up to the shop. The owner was nice and even offered her a meal free of charge. Angela smiled, guess being the champion had its perks. Her smile vanished from what the owner said, "friend"? She was about to speak up before a man walked up behind her and sat down after ordering some water. When did he? Was he following her?

Angela cautiously sat down and ordered a big bowl of ramen, keeping an eye on the old man. "I guess I can answer a question or two. But first, let me ask one... Were you following me? And why?" She asked in a semi-serious tone.

Pan sighed at Bakuto's apology, deciding within herself that maybe she was being too harsh on him after all. She was no better when she was his age, if not worse. "Don't worry about it. That's not what I'm here for."

"I'm here with an opportunity, one that a fighter such as yourself might be interested in. It's not a money thing, but you could grow a lot stronger, stronger than you can imagine. It wouldn't be easy either, or entirely... safe."

She shrugged, "So what do you say? Interested?"

---

Meanwhile, at the ramen shop...

The old man smiled as he looked away from Angela, taking the time to accept a cup of water from the ramen shopkeeper. He then took a sip, as he slowly turned back to Angela.

He then set the glass down and finally began to speak. "Following you? Not really. I haven't been walking behind you or anything, ducking behind barrels and what not." The old man laughed, amused at his own statement. "No, no. I just figured you'd be walking through these parts eventually. I've been waiting for a chance to speak with you about something."

"Excuse me." The ramen shopkeeper politely interrupted. "Did you want anything do drink while you wait on your ramen?"

@BladeSS4@Darkmoon Angel

The six assassins stood surrounding Wan and Niko in complete silence. The moment only lasted three or four seconds, but it felt like minutes, as the two men acknowledged the situation they found themselves in. Sure, individually, none of these men looked like their equals, but together...

That's when they all charged at once, but not in a direct line either. They weaved back and forth through each other, like basketball players running a complicated play... if basketball players were also bloodthirsty demons.

Assassin #1
Targeting: Niko

Health: 50
Power Level: 50
---Attack: 30
--Speed: 15
-Defense: 5

Assassin #2
Targeting: Niko

Health: 50
Power Level: 50
--Attack: 15
---Speed: 30
-Defense: 5

Assassin #3
Targeting: Niko

Health: 50
Power Level: 50
---Attack: 20
--Speed: 20
-Defense: 10

Assassin #4
Targeting: Wan

Health: 50
Power Level: 50
---Attack: 30
--Speed: 15
-Defense: 5

Assassin #5
Targeting: Wan

Health: 50
Power Level: 50
--Attack: 15
---Speed: 30
-Defense: 5

Assassin #6
Targeting: Wan

Health: 50
Power Level: 50
---Attack: 20
--Speed: 20
-Defense: 10

They had their man dead to rights, but then another man...just had him dead.

He was evasive at first, but since neither of them would be deterred, the mouthpiece had no alternative but to confess who it was at the center of it. Niko was waiting for the vindication he desired to exit the man's lips, but instead there was this sudden motorcycle coming in, and Wu Han taking a dive at him. Taken off-guard, Niko was almost flailing a bit as he went "Wait, no no no!" as their source of information was cut down by a mysterious bike rider with a katana. Dammit! They were so close, and Wu had tackled him, instead of maybe dragging the man in the suit to safety, or letting him do same! Instead, the two of them were unharmed, sure, but back to square one, pretty much. Well, unless this man, Goda, was worth anything.

It seemed obvious that they were both a part of the same organization, every one of them trained assassins. However, as the conversation continued, Niko picked up on the nuance: Wu Han's father was the head of their group, which meant that his willingness to help was more than perhaps ruffling the feathers of his fellow assassins, but also in apparent defiance of his own father. There was a story there to tell, no doubt, but first Niko was preparing to fight, as well, because Goda was bringing to attention that he was still their target, and that if Han wouldn't take care of him...this handful of ninjas will! Yes, Goda wasn't sticking around, claiming to be busy. Niko wondered if that was really all, when it would've been seven versus two. Well, no matter. They were getting surrounded, and as Wu apologized, Niko shook his head.

"Don't worry. We'll sort it out. For now, let's handle this. I've never fought against ninjas before..."

Strictly speaking, that's not what they were, but a team of assassins who lived in the shadows, waiting to strike. It's like...everyone calls Subzero a ninja, but he's strictly a Lin Kuei assassin. You follow? No? Nevermind... So, they had these guys to deal with, all of them masked and in gis like Wu, all of them clearly martial artists. They weren't armed like Goda, which was actually kind of fortunate. Nobody here knew like Niko how a simple weapon could turn the tide of a crazy battle. And so, with that, they were on the move!



They weren't attacking directly. They were being evasive, trying to feint and distract with their movements. Half were for Wu, half were for him. The problem with a fight like this was...who would throw the first punch? The reason people don't generally charge in at once is due to the need for coordination and not to hit each other by accident. So, they were moving around like the pieces of a con man's shell game, switching positions, and then after what seemed longer than the few seconds it was, the attack came! The middle one shot forwards, slipping past his colleagues as they were changing position, his fist thrust like a striking cobra. Niko's immediate was to meet his ribs first with his leg and drive him back, and then suddenly realized that he was between the two other men as they snapped back at him like rubber bands he'd dared to pluck. One brought in his fist towards his face, the other was kicking at his knee. Niko had to twist and duck into a crouch to try and avoid this while essentially bracing for impact, grabbing at the kicker's leg to pull him off-balance and to the ground.

Niko VS Three Assassins

Health: 121
Power Level: 121

Intercepting Thrust Kick, followed by 'Oh Shit' Ducking Maneuver with a quick Grab-and-Pull on the side.

Assassin-1
--Attack: 20
---Speed: 30
-Defense: 10

Assassin-2
--Attack: 0
---Speed: 25
-Defense: 5

Assassin-3
--Attack: 1
---Speed: 25
-Defense: 5

Angela was still suspicious of the man but was satisfied with his answer that he wasn't actually just tailing behind her. She turned back towards the ramen shop's owner. "Yeah, I'll also take a water..." She said before looking back at the old man. "Well... You found me... So what is it that you want with me?" She asked as she was given her water. "You want an autograph for one of your grandkids or something? Man... I'm really not used to fame..." She let out a sigh as she waited for the old man to answer her.

Pan laughed to herself as Bakuto jumped to his feet. He sure was an eager one, she thought to herself. On the outside however, she managed to contain her amusement to a polite smile.

"Well, there is a threat of sorts, on its way to Earth. And I lead a team of fighters that are going to be facing this threat. Actually 'manage' would be a better word for what I do. I don't do much leading anymore; I don't fight like I used to.

"Anyways, this team, we call ourselves the Z-Fighters, and once every ten years or so, a small alien force comes to earth to challenge us. It's not a formal fight like the tournaments here, but rather, a small invasion. They simply show up and if we don't meet them to fight, they have orders to start destroying cities and ultimately take over the world if they don't meet any resistance. However, if we do meet them to battle, and we win, they also have orders to retreat and not return for ten more years."

Pan watched Bakuto's reactions carefully, hoping that she wasn't coving too much information too quickly. "You've never heard anything about this because, as I'm proud to say, we've sent them packing without incident for many decades in a row now.

"This is where you come in." She said. "Any time we see fighters with potential, we like to recruit them. And someone up there has seen potential in you young, man. Unfortunately, you're going to need to go through some serious training, if you're going to be a match for even one of their foot soldiers. Also, we don't have much time. They will be arriving in one month.

"So I need you to be aware, if you really want to go through with this, you're going to be going through the toughest training of your life for one month. And maybe, if we're lucky, you can defeat a few grunts without getting yourself killed. What do you say? Scared?"

Pan crossed her arms in front of her chest, just below her elderly bust. The smirk on her face said that it would be okay if Bakuto wanted to back out now, she would understand. At the same time, she'd probably tease him for it, if he did.

---

Back at the ramen shop...

"An autograph?" The man chuckled at the idea. "No, no. I'm no collector of names. I am however, a collector of fighters. You see, I'm in charge of a team of elite fighters that I think you would be a perfect fit to join. You have a certain determination in your style that I like, and that others in the team share.

"That being said, you still need a lot of training. You might have been the best here at the tournament, but I assure you. There are much stronger opponents out there, just waiting to put you in your place. In fact, if you were to join my fighters, as I hope you will, you'd be at the very bottom of the totem pole, right there with that Bakuto kid, who I bet is going to join too. My daughter should be talking to him right about now..."

"Excuse me, miss." The shop owner injected himself, hot bowl of ramen on a plate in his hands. "Your food is ready. I may have doubled up on the proteins for you. I know how you fighters burn calories like nothing!" The middle aged man set that food down on the counter in front of her. "You know," He continued. "I couldn't help but here you offer this man an autograph. Well, if he doesn't want one, I sure do!"

These men were taught the fundamentals, but likely not much beyond that. Han had the unique knowledge of how the Wuye-ying operated from the inside. Only those the boss showed favor for got to receive any advanced training. And that was still not the full regimen that Han himself had grown up with. So against any one of these men, Han could end it instantly. Six would prove a bit more tricky though, and he and Niko were probably going to need to employ a divide-and-conquer strategy in order to minimize the numbers they would have to individually face.

3 of the assassins closed in Han, but their feint strike movements meant nothing to him. This maneuver was practically identical to the one he himself had employed against Niko last night. Nothing about this would catch Han off guard. He strangely waited before entering his own Shinigami stance, appearing to let the assassins make the first move. Or at least try too. At what seemed like the last possible moment, a small smile formed on his lips. Both sets of middle and forefingers instantly reached up to barely touch his temples, "Taiyoken!" and then, all at once, a blinding flash of light erupted from Han's forehead. Unlike these men, Han had been taught everything about the Shinigami style, including it's fearsome techniques. This one in particular was traditionally used to blind victims for a few moments, more often than not leaving them vulnerable to be finished off. Han instantly went on the attack after this, focusing largely on the assassin with the weakest guard and he went for a throat chop as strongly as he could. Better to down one of them immediately if possible so that he would need only focus on the remaining two.

"Did you forget who exactly you're dealing with?" Han asked his attackers, "Allow me to remind you. You may wear the symbol, but there's only one God of Death standing before you." if nothing else, this might be enough to strike fear in their hearts as an intimidation tactic.

---

Counterstrike - Trickster's Retribution
Health: 100
Power Level: 100
Secret Technique: Taiyoken (Solar Flare) - 25 [10 x 2.5]

Vs Assassin #4
Attack: 34 (17 + Serious Boost)
Speed: 18
Defense: 20

Vs Assassin #5
Attack: 0
Speed: 5
Defense: 10

Vs Assassin #5
Attack: 0
Speed: 0
Defense: 20

The battle began. There were only six assassins, but the way they moved, there might as well have been twelve of them. They closed in their targets looking to make swift work of them. That's when they realized that this battle would be no regular assignment.

The first three assassins, attacking Niko, dealt a decent amount of damage, using all that they already knew about their target from research. After all, he was the original target. His file was shared among anyone that had a chance of meeting him. The first assassin did the most damage, landing his kick right in Niko's chest. Of course, Niko was willing to take a little damage, to let his target in close enough for his counter attack. Niko grabbed his opponent and flung the guy at one of his companions. Unfortunately, his secondary target dodged and retreated. The fight continue for another few combos, but Niko wasn't able to land many more attacks than his initial counter.

Wan on the other hand seemed to handle himself a little better. He used his secret technique, momentarily making all of his opponent's flinch. He then closed in on one target in particular, dealing a solid amount of damage. All the while, he managed to avoid most of his opponent's attacks, taking minimal damage. It was clear, he knew how to handle assassins from his own organization. Even still, he didn't have any room for mistakes.


The six assassins then retreated in unison, creating a wide circle around their two targets. They ran the length of the circle for a moment, then charged back in. They hoped to confuse their opponent's by changing the match ups. Apparently they decided to prioritize Niko, noticing that he had taken the most damage, it was like they were sharks that smelled blood. So while four charged Niko, two went to Wan to keep him busy.

Assassin #1
Targeting: Niko

Health: 38
Power Level: 38
---Attack: 30
--Speed: 8
-Defense: 0

Assassin #2
Targeting: Wan

Health: 50
Power Level: 39
--Attack: 0
---Speed: 39
-Defense: 0

Assassin #3
Targeting: Niko

Health: 50
Power Level: 39
---Attack: 23
--Speed: 16
-Defense: 0

Assassin #4
Targeting: Niko

Health: 31
Power Level: 38
---Attack: 30
--Speed: 8
-Defense: 0

Assassin #5
Targeting: Wan

Health: 50
Power Level: 39
--Attack: 0
---Speed: 39
-Defense: 0

Assassin #6
Targeting: Niko

Health: 50
Power Level: 39
---Attack: 23
--Speed: 16
-Defense: 0

That punch had been a feint to slip in a kick at the last moment. Dammit! He still took a hit himself, but that really stung. Yeah, the coordination of these men were actually rather complex, coordinating alot of their movements to create a problem in keeping track of them. So much for the Law of Conservation Ninja. It turns out that group-fighting is difficult, after all. If Niko had had a pistol, he could leg-shot all of them in an instant, but he'd gone to the tournament unarmed, and thus came to this area unarmed, as well. Perhaps a mistake, but he didn't have an official reason to be carrying a gun off-duty.

So now, sensing his pain, the assassins had switched it up, keeping two men on Han while he had to take on four of these bastards. Han had done...well...Niko, hadn't seen what, exactly. It was bright and flashy and on the edge of his perophery while he'd been fighting, so he didn't really see it. The two of them were effectively separated, though, as the fout went in for a simultaneous charge! It was both good, and yet NOT good, in a way. You see, the four men were acting in a way so as to assure that one of their number would get through, but the execution was flawed in one specific manner: If it had been him, he would have moved faster. This exposed the other flaw, which we'll be getting to in a second.

If he was right...the assassins would come charging in, he would effectively disappear suddenly, their hands and feet would meet as they stop to prevent themselves hitting each other, and then they would see that Niko had swiftly moved through one of the gaps to break through the circle without warning. But they would be too late, because the other flaw in their technique was something they tell you never to do in the army, which was clump together. If you group up into a tight wad, you are inviting any enemy with a gun to go to town on you. Niko didn't have a gun, but he had a special technque, and it was about time he used it. He was planning to throw them ALL off-balance, but two of them were very definitely getting the strike!

Niko VS Four Assassins?!

Health: 85
Power Level: 97

Surprise Tornado Fist!
Serious Speed Boost!

--Attack: 40 x 2.5 = 100!
---Speed: 50 x 2 = 100!
-Defense: 7

Spread out thusly...

Assassin-1
--Attack: 0
---Speed: 25
-Defense: 0

Assassin-3
--Attack: 50
---Speed: 25
-Defense: 3

Assassin-4
--Attack: 50
---Speed: 25
-Defense: 4

Assassin-6
--Attack: 0
---Speed: 25
-Defense: 0