Guess Who's Back - Back Again

[Kazuya Hikari]

"... As you wish... Orion."

His head bowed slightly, casting shadows on his face and hiding his eyes from view, it would be difficult to gauge Kazuya's reaction to Orion's laughing fit and subsequent opening of his eyes, revealing they had become a smoldering molten gold with blood red flecks bleeding in, but based on the stoic stance he continued to take, he was far from anything but intimidated.

"... I can only wonder how long that'll last... So it was Delilah... And call me Kazuya. And Mekiel, recognized or not, you will always be the Iron Dragon to me, just as Leon Sudeki will always be the only Lightning Dragon to me. Kohryu, or the Yellow Dragon, the ruler over the four celestial beasts, shall be your official title in the gang, and you will be the leader if times of conflict arise. And just as you have extended hospitality to me, so too, shall I. My bar, the Dragon Fang, located in what was once Neutral Territory, now Midgard California, is always open to all of you. Feel free to come and go as you please, and stay, if you wish."

Raising his head up slightly, revealing one eye, which had become flame red, if something was going to indeed go down as Mekiel expected, Kazuya was ready. For now, he'd let the two of them talk, as they had past history together that Kazuya had no idea of, and the information Orion shared was of importance, to him at least, as the mask did indeed enhance his abilities and Qi. It gave him back his sight and changed his fire to white, but only for a little while. To learn if he used the mask, John Strike could control him, was alarming, to say the least.

Valor... It certainly sounds like more trouble than it is worth... Whatever it is.

[Orion]

Orion would incline his head politely, noticing that Mekiel tensed as if worried about something, Kazuya following suit. What... oh right, Mekiel didn't know Shadow was gone. He would mention that, the eyes must be spooking him. It was fair, his other persona was psychopathic.

"Much obliged, Kazuya. And from what I have heard, Mekiel, it seems so, though Shugo's a bit tight-lipped, and I've been too busy to make a social call. That, combined with little information on Valo due to him rarely leaving the house, it seems so... Valor seems to have induced an illness in multiple people. Tsubame may be sick, and as for me... well, you and I both know that I don't necessarily count when it comes to the norm of Valor. Oh, and Shadow's gone. Don't know why, or how, but the psychopath isn't there any longer."

Orion turned his head to look at Kazuya, realizing something.

"So sorry, you must be confused. Valor was a human experiment program with a number of subjects, though I don't remember the goal. Mekiel and I were two of those subjects, as well as the other names we've mentioned, except Shugo, who was under a previous program, all back in New York. Mekiel is the least changed, as you can see, but I... underwent the most drastic change of everyone there. Normal side effects involve QI and cosmetic changes, but... my body took it far worse. Empathy, inability to feel pain, the glowing, immune system that's practically god-like... I cannot get drunk, poisoned, or drugged, and I broadcast emotions unless I keep myself under tight control. I also have an absurd healing factor outside of combat, I'm guessing that adrenaline seems to block it... anyway, I heal ridiculously fast. I cannot feel pain, and the affects of intense heat or lack of it mean nothing to me. I can stick my hand in a fire and feel nothing, or a freezer.

"I am the most radical, and sadly the weakest. Mekiel was one of the strongest... aside from those designated with a color. Mekiel, what all am I skipping? I know I'm missing a number of parts, and it's probably best to warn Kazuya of any skeletons coming out of your closet... plus I have quite a few gaps that you could probably clear up."

[Amakusa Takehiro]

[OoC: Skipping Mekiel in the post order for this round, so next would be Lloyd. Also, to keep from doing two posts, I'll just put a little of Mekky's reaction in here as well.]

- In the middle of Orion's dialogue, the group would hear a rapping on the door. Three knocks in quick succession, in then, silence. If they waited to respond, they would repeat, every so often until the door was answered. If it got to the point where they simply did not respond, the man outside the door would walk in, assuming it was unlocked. Were it locked, it would be kicked down.

"Anyone gonna get that?" The blond man would ask, seeing as it wasn't really his place to get the door, unless Orion asked him to.

- Whether they answered the door or not, the man they would find before them was tall, though a little shorter than Mekiel. He held himself high, and his physique spoke a lot for his strength. He made no moves to seem threatening, though his face was hidden behind a mask, so his honest intentions would be unreadable.

"Hello, does this building belong to a man named Orion?"

[Kazuya Hikari]

Tilting his head slightly upwards to just barely look behind him at the knocking coming from the door in the front, Kazuya's eyes would shift over to Mekiel, then over to Orion, continuing to remain flame red. As he was simply a visitor here, he would remain at his spot against the wall unless asked by Orion to open the door.

"... I didn't know you were expecting visitors. And sounds pleasant. It reminds me of a similar situation my deceased girlfriend went through about 7 years ago, in the now long gone California Correctional Facility."

If no one else moved, or Orion didn't ask any of them, Kazuya would make eye contact with Mekiel, the look in his eyes conveying his message clearly: "Stay with the kid and don't move" before pushing off of the wall and moving out of the kitchen and to the door, would see a heat signature on the other side, and the facial features hidden by the mask, as he formed a small flame inside his nearly closed right hand, before opening the door. He would stand in front of the doorway, his head tilted upwards and to the left slightly, to look up at the man without straining his neck.

["... Hell if I know, why does it matter?"]

(OOC: Words in square brackets are Japanese)

[Orion]

Orion frowned at the door, hand drifting towards a knife.

"That's the thing. I'm not. I don't legally own this place, and I only... 'acquired' it recently. Kazuya, if you could? I'm not comfortable in extreme close quarters like a doorway, and Mekiel should stay here with his kid."

Orion would watch from the sidelines as Kazuya went to open the door. It wasn't locked, just closed from the weather. Orion had no idea who this would be. No one from the factions approached him, it was the other way around, and Rina generally found him by pure luck. And she would just barge in through the door, not knock. So he had no idea who this would be... which meant possible trouble. Orion got off the counter, right hand holding his halberd as his left, gripping the knife he picked up, remained behind his back as he edged to be in between the door and Mekiel and thus, Mekiel's kid.

Hey, he could defend himself. The kid couldn't. Orion wasn't a completely heartless bastard.

[Amakusa Takehiro]

- Jimseung smiled underneath his mask. These people got so defensive, but they didn't really how badly they stood out. It didn't take extensive research to see them enter the building, but that never occurred to them. Instantly, the boy was a threat. That was understandable, though; they had no idea how strong he was - they knew not what he was capable of. But he would make it apparent that he harbored no ill will.

- "[Easy, Dragon. I mean you no harm,]" he would respond in Japanese in kind. His accent would show he was not Japanese, however. He merely knew the language. "[When you have people looking for you, I do hope you realize there is no difficulty in spotting a ball a flame, a glowing misfit and a giant with a child, especially in the dark.]"

- "Hey, Kaz, what the fuck are you two talking about?" Mekiel stood to his feet now and brushed slightly past Orion. He had no clue what they were saying, so as far as he knew, it was a threat.

- "I come seeking a peaceful interaction, and that is all. If you would like to see me as a threat, you may do so, but it would do you well to know the only one of you who would make it out of this unscathed would be Mr. Hikari here." As he spoke, two men would enter the bar from the back, both adorning the same mask as the first. The both clearing had bladed weapons on them, but they were in positions they could not be used at a moment's notice. The men knew what they were doing, but it was clear they had no intention of fighting.

- Mekiel moved back to protect his kid. He had no idea who these guys were, but if he could avoid a violent altercation, he would love to, especially in front of the boy's eyes. "'kay, well I'm all ears if you wanna start talkin'."

- "Very well. Mr. Hikari? Mr. Smith?"

[Kazuya Hikari]

["... I am no longer a part of the Dragons. I left the gang behind when I left behind the items that symbolized my position and title in it. The only Dragon I am now is The Azure Dragon, and my self-proclaimed title of The Fire Dragon. I was unaware I was still being looked for, considering I am no longer a Dragon, and pose no threat to John Strike."]

Turning his head slightly to look behind him at Mekiel, he would continue to hide the small flame inside his partially closed up fist, ready to form a blade of flame if necessary. His eyes shifting to the two men that entered the bar from the back, he would form another small flame inside his other partially closed fist, but aside from that, would make no other visible threatening movements or expressions.

"... I have no objections. But if the boy or my best friend is harmed in any way, I won't hesitate to kill you all where you stand. What is it you wish to speak about?"

[Orion]

Orion grunted, the knife disappearing in the folds of his cloak, though his halberd was still held low in his right hand.

"Like I haven't heard that one before someone attacked me when my back was turned... but for the kid's sake and for the sake of not ruining this building, I'm more than willing to listen if your truly here for peaceful intentions. I am not by nature a violent man, it is merely a response to actions taken against me or others."

Little bit of bull, but true. Orion was really a reactionary force for the most part: much easier to respond to his opponent then take the first move, less of a risk that way, and if done correctly, one can follow the momentum of their opponent's actions, thus strengthening your own.

"And please don't call me Mr. Smith. Speak bluntly. Why are you here, searching for... outcasts such as we three? Or me specifically, judging by how you spoke when Kazuya opened the door."

[Amakusa Takehiro]

- "No worries, Dragon - self-proclaimed or otherwise - no harm will befall him." Jimseung smiled underneath his mask and politely moved past Kazuya and approached Orion and Mekiel. "Damn right," the giant muttered, to with the masked men simply nodded in response. "I, or rather, we, would like to exchange information and discuss possible future partnerships. In short, we would like to come to an agreement: Any information we come across will be delivered to you should we feel you could benefit from it, and any information you receive, we would like to be notified. Now, I understand you would be skeptical, but I would offer a partnership. We have supplies, military, financial, et cetera, that could be of use to you. Of course, we will reveal none of this to you - our identities or our resources - if there is no deal."

- "And how the hell are we supposed to trust any of you?" Mekiel cracked his knuckles, looking from mask to mask. Usually he didn't have a hard time trusting people, but these men seemed to hide everything about themselves. That just screamed sketchy. "Seems like you all know us, but we have no way of knowing any of you behind the mask."

- "I will say this, Mr. Echigo," one of the men in the back spoke up, with a relatively deep voice. "We all share a common interest, one way or another." "You know the name of Valo Morei. We know how to cure him, for starters -" the other began, but was cut off as Jimseung raised his hands in protest.

- "That is enough. Now, Hikari, Smith, Echigo... I would like to know, can we come to an agreement?"

[Kazuya Hikari]

Shutting the door behind him after the masked man had moved past him, Kazuya would return to the kitchen, taking up his spot against the wall of the kitchen entrance once more, his arms casually folded across his chest and his eyes hidden in shadows.

"... And what common interest would I have with anyone of you, for one? Supplies, troops, finances, I already have all of those. If it's information on the Dragons or Crows you want, I can't help you with the Dragons."

Though his body language conveyed no threats towards the three masked men, Kazuya would however, raise his head up slightly, allowing one eye to become visible to them, staring dead straight at the apparent leader of the trio.

"... Before I answer, answer me this: Are you with John Strike or not? If so... Mekiel, you're the leader of the gang. What do you say?"

[Orion]

Orion's eyebrow twitched as more masked men entered the building. Damnit, he just got this place!

"I'm fairly sure I never invited any of you three in... Freaking masked cronies..."

Orion would listen to the words of the first mask, and the comments made by Kazuya and Mekiel. He would shrug, looking closely again at the three men in his building.

"I see no reason as why I personally would be against working with information. I'm very free with it, as others are free with me. It balances, and adding you in makes little difference to me. However, how about a little test of analytical ability, a show of faith from me no? Here is information I've gathered just from looking at you three and listening."

Orion took a deep controlled breath. Time for him to have a little fun with his analysis speech. He always enjoyed doing this.

"Despite my 'diplomat' title, very few people generally care to acknowledge me. Plus, they rarely are able to find me, despite my odd appearance. The Dragons have spoken little to me, the Crows have spoken with me but generally keep to themselves instead of seeking me out, and Strike knows nothing to very little of me. That leaves me to believe that you are more then likely a remnant of Valor, all things considered, as only they would possibly seek me. Now see, here's the thing: the Valor Project practically cut all ties with me, and I with them. Now... of Valor, Tsubame is a homebody priestess who never leaves her shrine, Shugo is busy looking after Valo, Valo's sick as hell, I'm obviously not sending people after myself, and Mekiel here is a bum. That leaves Takehiro of the only people to know of me... And as I know he has his own resources and such outside of Valor, this is the most likely assumption."

Orion gave them all a wide maniacal grin, his eyes going completely from molten gold to blood red as he spoke once more, with a chilly undertone.

"Of course, I'm still perfectly willing to begin working with you. Oh, and when you see Takehiro again, tell him I'm going to stab him for pulling a disappearing act, and to do his own damn legwork instead of sending people, yeah?"

[Amakusa Takehiro]

- "All will be revealed if we have a deal. I apologize for the mystery of it, but we cannot risk giving anything out if we were to make enemies of you instead," the head of the group replied to Kazuya. He looked to Mekiel, who looked between him and Kazuya, and responded with a shrug. Not long after, Orion began his speech, to which they all simply grinned under their masks. Well, two of them. One of the three pulled out a throwing knife and was ready to use it when the man next to him stopped, and Jimseung once again protested as he rose his hand.

- The behemoth's nephew would applaud Orion's analytical ability, despite getting a few details incorrect. "Accurate, Smith, despite a few details. Just to humor you, allow me to list a couple," he began, removing the mask from his face. "First, there is a long list of members of the experiment who know of not only you, but every other one of us, despite having cut ties with the organization; And second, despite my initial greeting, we were not seeking you, exclusively. The three of you were a few of the subjects on our list and, conveniently enough, you were all in one place, thanks to the Giant being homeless. Now, Hikari, I see you've expressed concerns about us working with Strike." The three of the men looked to each other, and the other two removed their masks. "We are, indeed, soldiers of Midgard, though we work under Takehiro Amakusa, as the glowstick here so kindly pointed out. The two men with me are Ezekiel Wilson and Arden Rayner." "As long as we can benefit from this, we will offer you assistance as you need it. And as per information, we're not really asking you for what we can be told now, but any you were to gain that could be helpful to us."

- Mekiel cocked a brow, scratching his head for a moment. A lot happened in the last hour, and this was not really the norm. "Wait, wait, wait, so... we're forming an alliance with the old man? So why'd he have to be all secretive about it?" The nephew took a seat, running a hand through his hair. "Arden, Zeke, you can go tell him it all went through..." The other two nodded and left the building reluctantly, leaving their ally in what could be hostile territory. "Look, Uncle - that's Takehiro, so you know who I'm referring to - can't risk getting involved with the wrong people. He's working with people who could destroy him if it seems like he's a double agent, and as far as this new government is concerned, you're all terrorists. I'm sure you're aware of that."

[Kazuya Hikari]

The only response the masked leader would receive from Kazuya was his single visible eye continuing to stay trained on him, though the flame red glow seemed to have grown more intense than before. Once Orion had finished his analytical, if not long, information session, the moment one of the masked men pulled out a throwing knife, the flame in Kazuya's right hand immediately grew into a blade of flame, and would not disappear despite the leader managing to quell the commotion.

Noting the Korean facial features of the apparent leader after he removed his mask, he would make no threatening gestures at the trio despite revealing they were soldiers of Midgard, since the leader of the trio was Kazuya's one time gym teacher back at Public High School #774, Takehiro Amakusa.

"... Terrorists perhaps, but on the totem pole of threats to John Strike, all three of us rank pretty low. So why ask for alliances with us? I've left the Dragons, Mekiel only recently became part of a gang, and Orion is a diplomat for The Experiments. A motley crew perhaps, but I do not know your uncle as well as Mekiel or Orion. I've met him only a couple times, but I hardly warrant that as well enough to trust him. What gain would you have from an alliance with me? I'm not opposed to it, but I don't see what makes me so interesting to be one of the subjects on your list."

[Orion]

Orion snorted.

"Where to begin? Kazuya, I walk freely. Everywhere. The extent of my knowledge tends to irritate people... Mekiel, though he only recently came back, is known to fight on par with people far stronger then him via skill and his own style, and you? You're on the level of the Elder Dragons and the Gods, despite what they may think, and you're the only freelance one of that caliber, that I know of. Don't bother asking how Takehiro knew this already... that bastard is better at getting information then I am."

Orion turned his attention to Jimseung, eyes narrowing.

"Jimseung... Takehiro mentioned you a few times. Regardless, I'm assuming that I'm known simply because of how radically Valor affected me. I'm the most extreme case of when something goes wrong... and nothing comes of it. Regardless, I'm assuming that the reasons I listed are accurate for seeking us out. My habits, and the sheer strength the other two wield, and thus influence, would be very valuable to anyone..."

Orion sighed deeply, closing his eyes, thinking. Takehiro, with his own strength and resources, with Kazuya's new gang and his resources, Mekiel, and himself and his own resources and habits... Quite the force. Orion opened his eyes, and nodded at Jimseung.

"I'm willing to work with you. Your uncle has always been a friend and ally, and it'll be nice to see him again. However... we all need to get into contact with Shugo and Valo. They also have resources, their both fairly powerful themselves, and having the cure for Valo means little... unless we get it to him."

[Amakusa Takehiro]

- Jimseung cocked a brow at Kazuya's statement. Forget his resources, for a moment - his strength alone was enough to make him a huge threat to anyone. How many people walking this world can say they'd be a match for one of the Elder Dragons? How many of those people are unaligned at the moment? This simple fact alone made him significant, whether he decided to acknowledge it or not. "Dragon, you are one of the few people I know who can best my uncle in combat. Your strength would be a very important asset to us." Not to mention the trust he built with Mekiel. This meant it was unlikely he would betray them.

- "It can't be just us. Shugo and Valo, as Orion mentioned - are they going to be a part of this?" "Naturally, he has gone to speak with those two himself. And there are more people on this list who have yet to be addressed, but I am to make no mention of them unless they are certainly on our side." Jimseung would nod to the men, now approaching the door. "I will notify you when we have information for you. For now, I have to get back to my uncle. And, don't try to find us," he looked back to the group, grinning. "Should we have need of you, or you us, we will find you." With that, the young man left the building.

- "... well that was fuckin' sudden."