Scene #7731: SORG 5: vs. Mr. Big

Owner	Pose
Cantio	LAST TIME Exploring the downtown area of the underground city has led Elites into the mob's main base of operations. Their investigation has revealed that there's not only considerable friction between the mob and the current Mayor, but that there's hands outside of the underground city itself working to wrest control of the city away from the Mayor. The Don, identifying himself as Mr. Big, even allowed mind-readers to probe into his head to see why it is he's doing any of this: His boss (who had overthrown him above ground years ago) ordered him to overthrow this mayor, but he's also planning on getting revenge on his boss after establishing a foothold here. "I'll show you that the power of my pole is positively preposterous!" NOW Mr. Big stands before the group of Elites, twin batons gripped firmly in hand as he prepares to throw down with the group. When the rest of the mob draws their guns, however, he raises a hand and signals for them to stand down. It's clear that he wants to fight this battle on his own, even if none of them show any indication of actually leaving the area. "Coming down here, marching right into this place, and challenging me in my own turf... You've got courage, I'll give you that." He smacks his sticks together, then steps forward with one foot as he crouches slightly in place. "But you better not complain when you get one of my sticks up your nose!" He shouts that out, but he's at least waiting until the battle lines have been drawn before he actually starts fighting. He's smart enough not to provoke more people than he actually needs to, especially in this kind of situation. Of course, fighting Mr. Big isn't the only option available. The rest of the downtown district is still open for exploration, campaigning, thievery, or whatever else might make a wandering Elite's heart flutter. There's still plenty of bars to to campaign at, shops to collect collection money from, and weird temples to vandalize along with the usual hotels and offices with not enough office supplies to steal.
Brooklynn Bailey	Brooklynn stands as, in her opinion, that Hiromi is needlessly complicating this situation by being needlessly aggressive. Big was open, allowed his mind to confirm his words, and despite all that stands willing to take them on by himself. More than that, he does so defensively, likely waiting to see who would join against him. To her, this is also smart enough to not pick needless fights. Brooklynn moves to stand next to Mr. Big, a hand forming a blazing spear and pointing it towards Hiromi. She doesn't say anything more or dramatizes the situation. Everything they had said was said before this point. She disagrees with how the archwolf is handling the situation and is willing to back her words up with strength. Flames wash over herself and Mr. Big, aiming to increase their strength, as well as help sure up Mr. Big's defenses so that he could actually withstand the fury of an elite. She does not expect anyone else to jump in on her side and is willing to stand with who she considers a useful contact.
Hibiki Tachibana	LAST EPISODE, ON SORG BALL Z: 'Oh, that's easy. Just join us, we'll wipe out the cops, and then we can take the Mayor out along with all those freaky 'roid mutants. Then none of the fine folks down here have to worry about floating down the river because someone decided they don't like black or blue hats.' THIS TIME: Hibiki Tachibana, thrust into the role of potentially future mob don, is still wrapping her head around all of this. Hiromi taking her this way was really sudden, but now that she /is/ here, she's not the type to turn back. And she still wants to find a way that they won't need to completely wipe out any of the groups down here if they don't have to. The mayor is definitely going down either way, but you know. She does think the Archwolf said some really uncalled for things, but between Mr. Big raring to go and Brooklyn taking his side with a rather familiar burst of flame, Hibiki takes in a sharp breath and figures--well, no matter how things end up going, it'll be better to talk it out after everyone has already thrown hands than when everyone's tensed and squaring up. Especially with how Hiromi is when it comes to proving strength. So the magical girl steps forward. "Balwisyall nescell Gungnir tron..." Her casual clothes explode into golden light, replaced in an episode-runtime-friendly transformation that clads her in her Symphogear. The scarf of which is adjusted a few times as she gives a curt nod to the both of them. She still looks slightly apologetic towards Brooklyn, but it gives way to resolve before too long. "...Alright, then let's do it. I'll save what I wanna say for after we're done."
Staren	Staren is still sitting on the edge of a nearby roof. She WAS going to accompany Brooklyn to talk to the mob boss, MEESTAH BEEG, but Hiromi has thrown a wrench in the works. It seems Staren will have to sit around and see how it shakes out. AT least she gets to see a cool magical girl transformation! Hmm. May have to review that and make notes later. Wait. Is that REALLY a good use of time? Oh wait. OH WAIT. Staren's bad at talking, but now... now she has another way to find out what's going on. It turned out that no one is reviving the fallen for an endless war. She leaves drones to watch and record the fight. Staren heads back out into the city. A black cat in a sea-green scarf walking along the rooftops. Staren periodically closes her eyes and looks out at the sea of stars. Reading surface thoughts. Just to see if anything stands out that she hasn't been told about. But if it's just inane normal thoughts or unhelpful, it soon turns out she doesn't have the patience to just read thoughts all day. Next, she seeks out some of the gang members or cops on patrol. Checks their thoughts... and then looks deeper, Why are you the way that you are? Why are so many people willing to become the next bodies in the river?!
Hiromi	Hiromi's smile is easier to understand, and several shades less threatening, in her two-legged form. She stands up, and leans forward on one foot, which implausibly sinks into the (unusually purple) cobblestones that make up much of the flooring of this underground level, stone and sand being things that give way before her, and mortar being not a large enough impediment. "Better than expected. Some courage. Drive. Ambition. Little of care as leaders need, but some. If you show strength, I'll allow it. Willingness, pride, leaping to attack, to defend, these are necessary. Without these, leaders don't last." She plunges his arm beneath the ground, then, scattering a shower of rocks, but that small explosion is nothing compared to what happens afterward, once her fist reaches the buried earth, beneath the streets. The ground quakes, splits, and rows of stone spires lift out of it, forming a large ring around where Mr. Big and Brooklynn stand, blocking off and even pushing away the mobsters who'd still been hanging around. They'll have to climb up to get a good view of what's happening inside. Hiromi grabs Hibiki by the scruff (of her transformation outfit) and tosses her inside, then jumps in, herself. "Let's begin."
Cantio	MOBSTER (definitely not mafia ignore the hats and the accents and the hand pinching) BASE Brooklynn stands beside Mr. Big, and he raises an eyebrow slowly when she makes her intent clear enough with her actions. "So this is how we're gonna do it, then? Fine by me." He takes a moment to brush his chin with one of the batons, then settles back into his fighting stance once more as Hibiki's clothes explode and become armor. "... That's new. Heh. Alright, this should be good. Your transformation and your-" He glances over at Brooklynn. "-whatever you did. I ain't complaining about getting some weird powers of my own, but what're you getting out of this?" He asks of Brooklynn and Hiromi, then pauses for a moment before adding, "What the hell am I getting out of this?" The question isn't leveled at anyone in particular, but it is something that's giving him reason to reconsider fighting properly (beyond protecting his pride). He pauses again as Hiromi creates a veritable wall of earth for their arena, and outright laughs at the sight despite the anxious looks from his underlings. "Good enough! If we're gonna go stupid, then we might as well aim for the dumbest of the dumb!" He drops forward, then launches himself forward at an improbably parallel angle to the ground, batons pointed in front of him as though he was a human torpedo or something. It's a fairly straightforward attack aimed at Hibiki as the one actually targeting his position (through someone else on her behalf). OUTSIDE Nobody gives the cat a second glance. Why would they? There's nobody on the rooftops to do that, so she doesn't get bothered much by anyone intentionally. Sure, there's some unpleasant smells from vents and the like, but that's pretty much it. The thoughts of the people here are a hodgepodge of what most people in a slightly-less shitty city's downtown area would think: Thinking about cool new tech, about jobs, paying rent, what they're going to eat for dinner, when the next shootout will be. Aside from that worrying last thought, however, it's largely inane stuff until she finds patrolling cops and gang members. They all have their individual reasons, of course, but it all comes back to one thing: Money. The mobsters want to eliminate the cops here so they can control the flow of people, goods, and money moving through the city. More control, more money, more freedom to get a new Mayor (like Mr. Big) elected that'll make them the top dogs. The cops, meanwhile, just want to get rid of threats to their own power so they don't have to do nearly as much work maintaining order in the city. They're not particularly concerned with what it might mean for their job security if there's fewer threats to actually justify keeping them all on the payroll, though.
Hiromi	The disrupted ground provides another benefit, specifically for Hiromi. Cobblestone, in the first place, is a natural building material. River-worn smooth stones and sand (or mortar) are parts of the natural world that respond to her command, directed by her stomping of her feet or the sharpness of her shout. The ground beneath Brooklynn therefore betrays her, immediately, swinging to launch her toward Hiromi's approaching claws. Those aren't to slice her, but to grab her by any available limb and swing her hard against the ringing wall of stone. That ring is exceptionally sturdy, and would take some effort for even Hiromi to bring down through brute force, though it may show cracks or crumble long before its integrity is truly threatened.
Cantio	Their ages vary, of course, but none of them are particularly wise, as seems to be the case for anyone that's natively from this region. Death is just a thing that happens, but none of them are in the business of thinking that /they'll/ be the ones to die during all the fighting. That's something for chumps to do! It probably helps explain why most of the locals are so ready to get into impromptu deathmatches.
Brooklynn Bailey	Brooklynn loses her footing, being betrayed by the ground itself before being flung at Hiromi. This moves into a command grab, and Brooklynn goes flying, hitting a pillar. She rebounds, her body already healing from the blow and aiming to close the distance between the two of them. She thrusts the spear forward, flames searing, but also piercing anything they come into contact with. The attack was simplistic, she was not a trained fighter. She grabs her shield from behind her back and flips it over her body, before grabbing it in one hand and proceeding to get into a defensive stance. However, with the ground not as her ally, she will have to rethink how she can properly face down the wolf. She has an idea, but right now keeping on the offensive was going to lead to the next part of her idea.
Staren	Staren hangs her head, ears splayed. Both sides... are selfish. The mob might be better in the short term, but if this is how the people who make it up think, then... while Mr. Big might try to do good, society won't change. But everyone is thinking this way. Concord direction might be able to reach a little deeper, but will it really be enough? How long will lasting change take? How do you change people's hearts? This isn't a job for Staren. She's never been good at this... Wait! A spot of hope surges through her. Head raised, ears perked. With Persephone's power, see can see WHY they think this way, and--! Oh wait. She doesn't need Persephone's power for that. It's because it's always been this way. Because death is all around them. Life here is nasty, brutish, short, and /cheap/. She hangs her head again. How do you change that? ...Seilatiya. Seilatiya's already started doing it. What she needs to do is make sure no one stands in the way of those changes. Staren makes her way over to the new parks and facilities. Checks in on surface thoughts there. To see if they're making a mental change... and whether anyone is thinking this change needs to be stopped.
Hibiki Tachibana	Hibiki's big cool standoff meets a trip-up when she's picked up by her scarf, ends up with her legs dangling briefly, and then goes sailing like a rock into the arena. Fortunately, she sticks the landing and brushes it off with a too-loud clearing of her throat and another adjustment of her scarf. "An arena, huh? Works out just great by me...!" The last word is punctuated by some more energy and the girl settling herself into a stance with both fists raised, not that much unlike a boxer. "I like the way you think!" Even with it hidden under her scarf, it's very easy for Mr. Big to tell there's a grin on her face now. She can get down with stupid. And she holds her ground as he charges right in with that crazy maneuver too. The magical girl throws her hands forward to catch the momentum-driven baton stabs against her palms, the force sending her skidding backwards with a resounding and dramatic burst of air. But before she goes too far, she braces her feet down and grips onto them, using them to pull Mr. Big in towards her - and then shift her grip up to his sides, and pull herself back into a sudden suplex slam! What was that stance even for if she was going to do some WWE stuff? The world may never know.
Hiromi	With that straightfoward attack coming at her, Hiromi twists around the thrust, taking the flames rather than the point, but giving her the chance to drop her elbow on the shaft. A follow-up strike doesn't arrive, as Brooklynn takes the defensive route. It's not just a matter of strength, but of the quick motion that that strength implies, and the instinctive surety of motion that Hiromi displays at every moment. It might be wrong to call her a 'trained' fighter, but she's certainly an experienced one. "Caution is good, when facing bigger," she says, her stance dropping low, furred clothing still smoldering. "But what wish will grant victory? Where is the path that leads you there? Look for its starting step, and reflect on points of weakness." Hiromi stomps the ground again, but if one expects another shifting of the stone beneath, they'll be distracted from her leap upward. Her arc makes it easy to attempt an upward jab to impale her on the way down, but she's already spinning into a kick that anticipates just such a defense, followed by a crushing heel drop. The impression that she's holding back could only be gained by one who'd had ample prior experience in seeing her fight. Any other would think it wholly, lethally bloodthirsty, and not notice the attention she's sparing to observe everyone within the ring, opponent included.
Brooklynn Bailey	The shield swings up, she does not go for the strike but instead aims to challenge the blow from Hiromi with her defenses. The class is enough to blow rubble away, knockdown weaker foes, and cause the ground to crack. The blow was enough to be felt through the shield and through her entire body. Her teeth clatter in her mouth, but she keeps her eyes focused. The moment the collision takes place, she moves the shield to try and throw Hiromi off balance, and this time aims a swing of her foot towards the side of the wolf's own side. She follows this up with a flurry of thrusts, aiming to try and take advantage of what she hopes was a weakness in defense for just that moment. "Are you trying to fight me or teach me? If this is all a lesson, I'd like to think there could be better ways to do this. You know, not in the middle of negotiations with someone." Said in any other way, it might sound like complaining, but it was both an honest question, and a concern that this was done without purpose.
Cantio	MOBSTER BASE The mobsters have long since given up on worrying about collateral damage. Instead, they're just here to enjoy the show, cheering on everyone in general because they so rarely get to see a fight like this. It's usually all gun fights or people going ham with bats and fists, so a proper fight between seemingly magic users and crazy tech people is going to get them riled up. When Mr. Big's torpedo move is interrupted in mid-strike by Hibiki grabbing all 6'11" of him, even he's impressed shortly before getting slammed into the dirt behind her. She can feel him grimacing through his body as he's stunned for a few moments, but he soon makes it obvious how he's obtained this kind of position in the mob as he recovers shortly afterwards. He makes no effort to pull himself out of that hold. Instead, he clamps arms arms down over Hibiki's at his sides, taking advantage of the size difference to get one foot back on solid ground at the side. Once he does, he wrenches himself sideways in a swift roll, aiming for a weird sort of hip drag to slam Hibiki back onto the ground with some added momentum. Sadly, his glasses aren't going to survive this fight, as they're already broken and falling off his face from that first maneuver. RERUN PART DEUX Unfortunately, the people downtown really are that dumb, and neither the mobsters nor the cops can really be said to be on the right side of anything. There's the occasional slightly brighter spot in terms of people Staren digs into the minds of (mostly by thinking about protecting the weak as a side benefit to getting paid), but nobody that could really be considered hero material. Checking on the upper levels, however, reveals that things have changed pretty remarkably from before. With good and accessible food actually within reach of everyone instead of being something to vaguely aspire towards while stomping down everyone else, the people in the parks district are just kind of chill. There's still some tension between certain groups that have a history of fighting, of course, but even they're considerably more willing to let shit slide or pretending not to see someone crossing invisible territory boundaries that might set them off for whatever reason. Naturally, nobody wants to stop those changes. The only ones that haven't been (extremely) affected by the changes on the upper levels are those that haven't actually experienced those changes firsthand. Namely, the lower levels that the group has yet to expand their influence to.
Staren	Well, that's an uplifting finding! And it's unexpected that no one is taking offense to the changes! But then, maybe that's because no one whose power depends on the suffering of others is here, but rather, far away. Hmmmm. Staren takes to the local internet and social media, if extant. How are those rich folks reacting to the changes? Has the Mayor said anything about them, or announced any new plans that could possibly be related?
Cantio	INVESTIGATION Local internet? What's that? Apparently, there's not much connection to the outside world here beyond phones, and that's really only used for direct communication rather than anything more intense. Whether getting away from social media at the cost of this underground city being the way it is remains open for debate. Then again, looking at the city being the way it is probably doesn't make it a particularly hard debate. Just watching the comings and goings of those who have made it more than the people in the upper regions makes it obvious that the people here (and likely those in the lower levels) subscribe to a rather toxic 'screw you, I got mine' mentality. Weirdly enough, though, there actually hasn't been so much as a peep out of the Mayor since the Elites started their dive into this area. Production and testing of whatever it was he had focused on has stopped thanks to everyone's prior efforts, at least, but actually digging up more information on his plans will probably necessitate getting to the big man himself. Not Mr. Big. Different big man.
Hiromi	Are you trying to fight me or teach me? "Survival is learning. Fighting is teaching. Only in death are no lessons left." Hiromi calmly explains, while flipping back off Brooklynn's shield, and then taking her kick to the side of one arm. She backs off while weaving around the thrusts, though not quickly enough to avoid them all, taking burns along her hands when she strikes to parry the ones that would have reached her vitals. Her skin regenerates, but slowly, still showing every place she's been struck. To not be in terrible pain from that kind of wound would be odd, but however it's affecting her isn't shown on her face, only the focused observation of her surroundings. "Without force, one's will cannot be pushed, onto the world. There is no motivation without danger. Threats of pain, loss." A glance toward Mr. Big and Hibiki's fight. "Loss of pride, authority." She steps forward, into the next attack, only to drop beneath it, sliding to reach long legs around Brooklynn's feet, twist and, if caught, flip her onto the ground knees- and face-first. That's a vulnerable position to find oneself in, shield pointing the wrong direction, especially with how easily Hiromi can free her own footing, the arch of her back implausibly strong to send her straight into a leap above her opponent, ready to smash down again with both feet.
Hibiki Tachibana	Unfortunately for Hibiki, no matter how strong she is, Mr. Big is still getting buffed up by Brooklyn and he nearly has two feet of height on her. He catches her by surprise with a shocked "Eh!?" before she's pulled along, going on a disorienting and sudden spin into the ground herself. She suddenly respects his ability a whole lot for pulling this off. You really don't become mob boss for nothing down here. But she at least manages to brace herself with her metal-clad forearms to dull the impact, and make it a much louder slam against the stone than it otherwise would have been. Getting out of this one will need her to play to her own strengths...! Which goes right back to being very strong, among other things. If Mr. Big remains holding onto her, she's going to swing out both arms against the floor as hard as she can, to suddenly throw herself back off the floor and in the opposite direction right along with him. Which'll send both of them back into the rock wall of the arena, with Mr. Big as the one between one small punchgirl and a hard place. That'll hopefully loosen up his grip, and if so, Hibiki will waste no time separating only to throw a whirling roundhouse kick back towards him!
Staren	Okay, it's pre-internet. Staren has an idea of how that works: You check newspapers and look for editorials and opinion pieces too. But he's ALSO LAZY. If-- DANGIT! She STILL does that once in awhile... Ahem: She's also LAZY. If there's a library, she tasks a robot with reading recent newspapers, and if not, she buys one of every currently-selling paper and has robots scan THAT and send her anything that hints at how the upper-class parts of society are reacting to the change.
Brooklynn Bailey	Hiromi was a crafty opponent, not just strong. Her strength combined with that fighting style makes her exceptionally dangerous, and it's that skill that sets her apart from Brooklynn, who is far more natural abilities than skill. If Brooklynn survives long enough, though, that might change. For the moment, she is on the receiving end of the trip. Her face hitting the ground, and forcing her on the defensive again, but this time in a bad position. Hiromi can see the injuries heal in real-time, quickly undoing her hard work, but not a complete restoration. That'd take more time than the combat would allow. However, she does hover off the ground for a moment, before flames engulf her, and then burst out in all directions, aiming to both burn the wolf, but also force her back due to the sudden and intense heat. Trying to land back on her feet, but now hovering off the ground the less human package that is Brooklynn turns back towards Hiromi. "Force isn't always what's needed to push your idea. It wasn't force that forged Seilatiya's empire. You can't live in constant danger and truly thrive, all that is is survival," Brooklynn says drawing the spear back. "I can't deny though, that you are right that strength is necessary to protect what you desire to preserve. I can't throw what I am away either, to give up my compassion and charity to become a being based purely on survival." "Or are you saying you will not respect what I believe unless I too have the strength to protect my ideas?"
Cantio	MOBSTER BASE "Keheh... It's been a while since I fought anyone that could take me on up close!" Mr. Big seems to be enjoying himself a fair bit as the fight continues, notwithstanding Hibiki's durability and slipperiness despite (or perhaps because of) the size difference. He can be seen blinking slowly as she actually manages to not only lift him off her, but actually propel the both of them backwards at the rock wall with far more speed than he had apparently expected. There's a rather painful crunching noise on that impact, and he buckles visibly as he loses his grip on her arms. When she swings around with that roundhouse kick, it looks like it's about to hit him square in the midsection, but he's able to get one of his batons up just in time to block the brunt of that strike against his arm. "Good hustle, kid... Hm. I know now." Grinning in that distinctly slimy bastard sort of way, he lunges forward with his other baton swinging for her head, then spins around with the other for another swing at her arm before shifting seamlessly into a swift barrage of swings, thrusts, and claps all around her upper body (because he really isn't going to nail her legs anytime soon). "Once you're older, what do you think of becoming my right hand woman?" Yeah, he's going there.
Cantio	OUTSIDE SOMETHING Libraries? With these idiots? The closest Staren will find in her search to a collection of newspapers are in the shops, and they're all too willing to sell her their old stock of bathroom liners. Luckily, they're organized from newest to oldest in each batch, so it's not too hard to get a better idea of how the upper class has viewed all this stuff with the Mayor, past and present. In short, they're not too concerned with whoever's the Mayor. His efforts in doing anything have largely been concentrated in the upper levels, and the increased numbers of contraband-scanning robots wandering in the lower levels where he and they reside haven't bothered them too much since they're (largely) law abiding citizens with way more money than sense. Why jeopardize that by getting on his (robots') bad side? There's a few notable articles about the cop bots seizing alcohol and drugs. It's less the content disparaging the cop bots, though, and more the fact that the writers of these articles are never consistent. In recent weeks, these articles have outright disappeared.
Hiromi	It wasn't force that forged Seilatiya's empire. "Food and safety strengthened what she was given," Hiromi responds, "where strength of arm is Isahane's. Don't be fooled by what she thinks." What the flames do to Hiromi is, immediately, ugly. But that is smoothed away as she steps back and stretches her neck to either side. Third-degreen burns regrow to fresh, pink skin, then fade into her usual tan. Burnt-blind eyes are restored to vivid violet as she blinks, and licks the bloody mess of her fingers back into merely dirtied condition. "To wish without strength is suffering. To have strength without wishes leaves paths still open. You see which must be taught first, which is necessary before others." It's a moment of focused effort on recovery that should make one vulnerable, but there's no sense of it being a true opening. Rather, it's like anything could happen at any moment, like she might disappear in a single motion, so coiled to strike, even without taking a deeper stance. "Don't mistake this. Death is only one danger. Any 'loss' threatens, drives forward." And she proves the lie of that suspect opening as she, herself, drives forward, ground rippling under her, her movement made uncanny by how it's both her feet that move on the earth, and the earth that moves beneath her, working in intuitive tandem, juking right and left, only to launch her fully over Brooklynn's head, despite the latter's hovering position, this time with Hiromi's claws extended from her hands, one to a finger, raking defenses and flesh alike, whether she succeeds in reaching her opponent's back or not.
Brooklynn Bailey	"It isn't just food and safety, that desire to give her citizens more than that, a place to expand and improve themselves without having to worry about their next meal, or if something beyond the wall will eat them during the night!" Brook continues to use that shield, it's the one thing she really knows how to use. Hiromi regenerates similar to her, but the clash has started to bring out some of the inhuman features of Brooklynn. The marble-like skin, the flaming eyes, and the wings. Hiromi lays ready like a spring, but Brook similarly watches Hiromi. There was little doubt here that Hiromi was the superior fighter, but Brooklynn tries to keep her advantage any way she can, and right now defensively is how she plans on achieving this. "Then what is a perfect world to you, Hiromi? One where people live in constant fear of having things taken from them, or one where everyone lives in strength? What does a world of your making look like? I have seen others, but not yours." However, it was then when she was released. Earth and wolf moving in tandem to propel her viciously. It was because of Brooklynn's preparation that let her react in time, she swings in a circle, aiming to slam the shield back. The shield takes the blow, though the force so powerful it still moves Brooklynn quite a bit backward, the force of the blow nearly enough to shatter her bones. Though injuries slowly healing from the pure force of the shot. The remains of the shield are thrown to the side. There is nothing left she can use to protect herself, so she decides to toss the slag away. She throws her hand forward. This time, fire is released from it in a burst of heat. Spears fly out of the flames, aiming to catch the wolf in them once more aiming to piece and sear as they fly.
Hibiki Tachibana	Hibiki lets out a grunt as her follow-up strike is blocked, only to be immediately forced onto the defense. The retaliation strikes her clean in the head and gets her reeling back, slowing down her hasty block of the hit to her arm, and putting her onto the backfoot in very short order. "Hrngh--" Her arms are a blur of motion, meeting the barrage of attacks with open-palm jabs and using her gauntlets to block with loud metal clangs. But more and more attacks begin to get through her guard, connecting with her unarmored but still apparently immensely sturdy body - step by step, she's losing ground, so something needs to change. Though part of it might be because of her expression change into a squint with a disgruntled sound coming from inside her throat, finding that comment a lot more of a pain than all the bruises she's taking. "Your--?" She sounds somewhere between surprised and apalled for a couple moments before her grin turns up enough to be visible just barely past her scarf. "...Sorry, pass! You're not my type at all. But if you want a right hand...! You can have one!" Abruptly, while Mr. Big is winding up for another strike, Hibiki moves in rather than falling back. She's short and fast, so it makes it easier than you'd think to duck low and get within the effective range of his weapons. A palm strike using her right arm comes up towards his stomach, thrust forward with enough strength behind it for some of the force to visibly push back out the other end of his body if it connects cleanly. She follows up with a barrage of her own, with a leg sweep meant to knock him off his feet into a rising knee that'll connect mid-fall to knock him up instead, leading into a blindingly fast barrage of punches!
Cantio	"Really? What a shame. Forming a team with some cute asskickers wouldn't be so bad if the boss ever runs a tournament..." Mr. Big lets out another bellowing laugh even as his next swing is stopped prematurely by Hibiki moving right into his face (or midsection technically), and he lets out a retching grunt when she bashes her palm right into his gut. He staggers back briefly after the impact, and the followup sweep takes him right off his feet and directly into the path of her knee. Popping him up, even for (or especially for) someone of Hibiki's size is no easy feat, but that's just what ends up happening. Each punch lands solidly on his body, and he's kept up there for quite a bit longer than he's comfortable with thanks to Brooklynn's defense-boosting... Thing. Eventually, he manages to start blocking the last couple of punches, but he doesn't have time to shoot looks at the mobsters watching the spectacle and cheering the fighters on. There is, however, a distinct coldness in his expression when he finally manages to break away with a strangely athletic backflip for someone his size. "You know, kid... I'm not called Mr. Big just because of my size. When I fight someone like you or the boss-" He inhales sharply, then lunges towards Hibiki with a renewed vigor. "I go big because I'm not going home!" He approaches with that same horizontal body-torpedo baton strike, but doesn't stop with just that strike. Once he's close by, he shifts into a rapid flurry of strikes, swinging his baton, thrusting it at joints, kicking at knees, a few headbutts, and then ending it all off with a loud shout of "Blaster Wave!" and thrusting both batons forwards, unleashing a sudden burst of electricity right into Hibiki's... He still has to adjust his aim downwards for that last part, but the tricky part is that it's electricity rather than direct hit. He doesn't need to be that accurate!
Cantio	MEANWHILE <J-IC-Scene> Staren says, "Hmmm." <J-IC-Scene> Staren somberly, "The mob boss, or Hibiki, or the Concord could try to use the mob to help people, but... As long as life down here is so Hobbesian, people won't help eachother. Society won't get better." <J-IC-Scene> Staren, cheerfully, "However! Seilatiya's changes really seem to be helping with the mental damage this place is suffering! And I'm not finding anyone around opposed to them... although, they could just be plotting from further away. I wonder what that Mayor's up to..." <J-IC-Scene> Cantio says, "If I'm remembering it right, he was... Testing some kind of mind control devices in the upper levels. I wonder if having the cops push people into those areas might have had something to do with that. But... We haven't seen a lot of those lately, huh?" With that back in Cantio's mind, she's decided to take a detour back to the industrial zone. There's no more real industry to speak of thanks to the factories getting leveled, but there's still products lying around in crates and bins throughout the district! No sense letting those go to waste, whatever they are. She totally knows what they are.
Hibiki Tachibana	There's a dry chuckle at Mr. Big's first comment - maybe if she ever does end up in a yearly team tournament with weird and possibly supernatural backroom dealings involved, she'll keep him in mind - but it gives way to the shouts of her attacks, and then a sound of surprise when he finally slips free with some surprising agility. "...!" He's fast coming back in, too. If she had any doubts as to how serious he is, they're all dashed in the second he comes in with the torpedo dive she only barely manages to cross her arms up against, leading into a constant clash of fist-to-baton, knees smashing into legs, and heads clashing. Luckily, both of theirs are real thick. Less luckily, Hibiki wasn't actually expecting what comes next. The lightning crosses the short distance to her, and unlike a few other times she's had to deal with electricity, she doesn't have time to do any weird stuff to block it. It reaches her body and crackles along flesh and the armor if her Symphogear, briefly locking her in place and tensing every muscle in her body. "Ngh...! We'll see..." She barely manages to force out words through grit teeth. "...about that!" The regenerative powers that Hiromi has given her help push past the shock, and seize the opening Mr. Big has left to launch a counterattack - clenching her fists tight and forcing a leg up, she stomps down with ground-cracking might at the same moment she shifts her upper body into a full-force straight punch. It's a sudden, explosive motion definitely lifted from bajiquan. And if he gets hit clean, it'd definitely risk sending him clean through the wall if it wasn't for how sturdy Hiromi has made them. And since she's still crackling with the electricity from his attack, it'll even come with a residual shock delivered through her very metal gauntlets still circulating the stuff. He can dish it out, but how well can he take it...!?
Cantio	Mr. Big's confidence grows by the moment with that flurry of strikes, and he's looking pretty satisfied with himself when that electric blast hits its mark, pumping into Hibiki and her Symphogear simultaneously. What he's not so satisfied with, then, is the fact that Hibiki takes it head on and just gets right back into the fight without so much as falling down for a moment. "Sh... Shit, seriously? Just what're you on, kid?" He asks, conveniently ignoring the fact that Brooklynn had done something similar to him at the start of the fight as well. He's clearly spent from that maneuver, as his attempts to protect himself from Hibiki's counterattack are less 'flip around and parry it' and more 'try to minimize damage through twisting his body around to not take a hit right to the head. To his credit, he doesn't get hit in the head at all. It's of little relief, though, when Hibiki's punch just slams right into his arm, punching all of that concentrated force through his body and sending him rocketing sideways into that wall. There's a rather gross cracking noise when he hits the rock wall, too, but thankfully.. He's still conscious! Alive, even, although he's a little embedded in there. He sputters quietly as his brain tries to catch up with his body from so many yards away, only managing to turn himself around into a seated position within the rock wall without actually pulling himself out of it. Also, he might still be stuck. "... Shit. That was... Helluva punch there. You aren't secretly the boss' kid or something, are you?" He grunts and grinds his teeth as he wriggles around in that Mr. Big-sized indentation, then sighs and rests his head back. "Screw it... Egh. That's why kids are dangerous. They don't know their own ability until they get slapped around a bit."
Hibiki Tachibana	Only after the punch is delivered and Mr. Big is sent flying does Hibiki wince break her stance, stumbling a step and lurching slightly as her other hand comes to rest on the side of her body. Wolf-given power to stand back up no matter what or no, that stuff /hurt/. There's bruises and some slight searing everywhere from the smacking she got, but all things considered, the fact she's treating it like some scrapes after your everyday fight than anything else makes the mob boss' surprise come from a very understandable place. "Haha...I wish," she murmurs, before straightening up some. "It's not like you're not something else yourself. You were hiding that trick up your sleeve the entire time, huh?" With a steadying breath, she starts walking forward to where he's stuck in the rock wall, the look on her face going to mildly amused at how he's arranged himself in there. "And you took a punch like that. Now I get why you're the boss." Stopping just a bit in front of him, her Symphogear disperses in a quick burst of golden light. She's still battered from the fight, but at least her clothes are still looking good as new. Her arm goes out towards him. Well, also 'up' but you get the idea. She's offering to help pull him out from there. "...Anyway, I'm not actually interested in taking your job from you. And with how much trouble you gave me, I don't even think Hiromi can say you don't deserve it." She gives a side glance towards the Archwolf and Brooklyn still going at it as she says that, and then back to him with a small smile. "So I'll settle with you helping us take the mayor down. I think he's the real problem here, not the police. Once he's out of power, we can really make things down here better for everyone. And I'm sure there'll be money to be made," she adds on. There's a pause, where she sheepishly rubs the back of her neck with her free hand. "...Well, it's definitely not as easy as that, but I don't wanna imagine it'll be as hard as most people imagine either, if it's what everybody wants and they work together for it."
Hiromi	...a place to expand and improve themselves without having to worry about their next meal, or if something beyond the wall will eat them during the night! "Food and safety," Hiromi repeats, "given by strength." The strength of its two queens, at least, doing what those before them hadn't been able to. Then what is a perfect world to you, Hiromi? "Perfection is the ending of endless journeys. Wisdom frees humans from needless suffering." What a wolf considers wise may be different than what a mountain hermit thinks, though that depends on the mountain. "Better ask, 'what is good?' To follow strength and not weakness, to raise strong pups, to be kept safe until grown, to have land to hunt, earth to grow, water to flow. For clean snow to melt from mountains, and miasma to stay far at sea." It's a testament to how seriously she's taking Brooklynn's flames that her attention hyperfocuses on them even as Hibiki's fight escalates to its climax, and Hiromi's stomp raises the ground in front of her as a wall of spiring stones. The flames heat, but are ultimately unable to pass through this solid defense in any concentration to reasonably harm her. There's only a moment to consider what the now-unseen Archwolf is up to before the wall shatters with a shout, struck from her side and transformed into a rapidly expanding cloud of shards, the rock-shot immediately followed by the self-launched wolf, landing what appears as if it'll be directly on top of Brooklynn, but in fact stops just short, hitting the ground with a shattering step that anchors her for the follow-up strike of her fist. It's quick, if easily seen. The hard part wouldn't be blocking it, but in not being thrown back against the arena's walls hard enough to be knocked out.
Cantio	Mr. Big totally meant to sit like that. It would almost look regal if not for all the bruises and blood, and especially if not for the powdered stone staining his fancy ass coat. "You don't get where I am just by fighting clean. Ambition means winning, and sometimes winning means hiding a gun until you need it." He lets out a brief snort, then presses a hand against his side with another wince. "It's been a while since I saw anyone punch that hard, never mind taking it. Ech... Former boss, more like." Sounding resigned, he still carries himself with some dignity, not even missing a beat as he takes that offered arm to get out of that hole. What does catch him off guard, though, is Hibiki not taking up the mantle as the new Don of the mob. He raises an eyebrow slowly at her logic, but doesn't speak right away as he follows her gaze towards Hiromi and Brooklynn. He watches that battle for a few more moments, then laughs boisterously before reaching for Hibiki suddenly to... Hoist her up into the audience seating area. "You're too soft, ki... Hibiki. You'd never make it in this kind of work." Mr. Big clambers into the seating area himself, then reaches into his coat to slip on a new pair of shades. "... Smart move. But fine, we'll play ball. It's not like we weren't aiming for that, anyway." Mr. Big gives his answer, but his gaze is firmly on the two warriors still in the arena. It takes him a while longer before he finally speaks up again. "Uptown. That's where the police are based out of. You take them out, you take out the Mayor's eyes and hands. I don't know about making anything 'better' here, but..." He digs his pinky into his ear. "... We're not deaf, either. We know what you've all been doing higher up. Once you get the Mayor out, you can do whatever the hell you want with this place. Make it a paradise, turn into it a shithole, whatever. We've got your backs, whether you want to get someone elected or just need extra firepower. Right, guys?!" On cue, the mobsters cheer, although it's not clear if they're following Mr. Big's lead or just getting excited over Brooklynn and Hiromi fighting it out. Hibiki gained Trait: Friend of the Family!
Brooklynn Bailey	The shards are weathered by Brook using flames to melt many of them before they become dangerous, but more get through. The wolf herself breaks through the flames and straight at her with superior strength and speed. There is a clash, the flaming spear is brought to bear to block. However, it was a defense at a disadvantage, and before she knew it Brook was flying to the walls of the arena. There is a sickening crunch as her body fails to withstand the impact and slides down with a splotch of red. However, more energy is expanded, bones and muscles knit themselves back together, warping her body farther with the increasingly growing inhuman features as she stands up once more. Her body poping sickening into place with her body's regeneration working overtime. "Then perhaps I should ask you what you think strength is? What is weakness?" She asks, but her eyes focus. She hasn't lost /yet/, even if the tides had turned against her. The spear is gripped in her hands as the air around her becomes relentlessly hot from the flames. She reaches her hands out and causes spears to rain from the sky now, aiming to try and bury the archwolf in the weapons. "Perhaps this fight is simply from misunderstanding each other. I would like to understand you better, Hiromi. We are comrades, are we not?"
Hibiki Tachibana	Mr. Big actually catches Hibiki by total surprise. "Bweh!?" She lets out a very flustered, higher-pitched sound than her usual 'low and quiet' or 'angry punchbaby' as she's brought up into the stony stands, blinking up at him as he follows suit. Even while he's watching the ongoing fight, she's still looking up at him as he speaks, and brings up what can only be the place she saw before when tinkering with the police box. The rest of the gang (regardless of why they're doing it) also get her turning her head from the side to side with obvious surprise, right up until she blinks, exhales, and puts on a grin again. "...Then we'll be counting on you guys. We're gonna need all the help we can get to make it happen, after all!" Turning her own attention back to Hiromi and Brooklyn, she punches a hand into her palm and holds it there. Everything is working out, and now they know their next stop...! She may or may not be picking up some things through working with THE MOB in the near future, but that's for the future. But right now, she really wants to see how things end up between these two. She doesn't think she's ever fought anywhere but alongside Brooklyn before...and it's not every day that she sees Hiromi punching people who aren't her. And the word 'understanding' is basically a magnet for her attention.
Cantio	That information about the police boxes has Mr. Big stroking his stubble slowly. "Huh. You found another way uptown that isn't the main elevator? That would explain how they're able to show up so fast..." He lets out a rumbling noise while leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and his hands crossed in front of his face, although he doesn't have quite enough/any hair on his scalp to look like a terrible father. He does have the thinking look nailed down, at least. "I'll have my boys look into that. If we can come in from those and the elevator when they're not expecting us, then... Taking down the cops just got a lot easier." It's clear that he's still thinking about the removal of the police purely from a violence angle, for better or for worse. Still, having someone else to investigate those police boxes are sure to provide some useful information next time.
Hiromi	...What is weakness? "Strength is in the body, the mind, and the soul," Hiromi answers, standing where she'd landed, while Brooklynn recovers. Some attention is spared, again, for her own wounds, as new skin slowly knits over what had burned away. Her long hair, likewise, regrows to its original length, the charred ends crumbled. Her clothing operates under no such miracles. She goes through so many outfits this way. "Power cultivated in the self, to act, resist, enforce, stand, and run. Weakness is its lack, of will to carry burdens, of skill to do as wished, of hardness to be unbroken. Weakness is not a sin," isn't the word she says, but the closest any word can be, carrying the subconscious meaning of the fundamentally wrong, evil, that which is to be always avoided and shunned, "but a weak leader will fail to protect, to guide, to show the path. Do you see?" We are comrades, are we not? "Not enemies," Hiromi agrees, "not hunter and prey, but challenger and challenged." Again, those aren't quite the words, but it carries the unmistakeable meaning of 'a pair having a dispute,' an argument, something to be resolved. "Strength of arm, not alone. Show resolve, strength of will. This is the path. It is good." Because Brooklynn is doing exactly that. She could have backed off at that point, when things turned against her, but Hiromi vocally approves of continuing the fight, implying meaning in the very act of staying standing, and delivering another blow. Fire rains down. Hiromi reaches to the ground, and her hand comes away like she's pulling a flowing sheet, despite it being solid stone. It impacts the flames, but with nothing to support it, it's only a moment's respite. She charges through the remainder, the ground shifting subtly under her, carrying her in an unpredictable zig-zag across the intervening ground, then assisting her launch upward -- not directly at Brooklynn, but at the wall behind her. A second leap, course corrected, carries her in a tackle to her target, aimed to take the both of them to ground. There's not much to it beyond that, if it's not avoided. There are ways of escaping Hiromi's grip, so long as one has more than raw strength with which to try it (a contest she tends to win), but it'll have to be done quickly, because arm-locking chokeholds and leglocks are among her number of skills.
Brooklynn Bailey	The two collide heat clashes against stone as the two try and out strength the other. Hiromi, however, has a strict advantage here even though Brooklynn is not lacking in strength herself. The force of the larger woman's grip eventually puts Brooklynn face-first into the ground. There isn't much she could do, her own strength expended and her own healing ability not able to keep up with the damage Hiromi was putting out. She calls out to surrender, not able to take anymore. If let go she will roll to her back and lookup. Flames and heat fading, but her form doesn't go away. She'll be like this for a while, as her magic will slowly radiate off of her body. "I think I get what you are saying. You are not saying it is wrong to be weak, but rather that a leader can not be weak," She says. One more weight to carry. She can't show any weakness if she picks up the leadership of Kings.
Hiromi	Hiromi accepts Brooklynn's surrender, the pressure immediately easing, as she rolls over and leaps to her feet. "You understand. That's why, the strong lead." Looking around at the (natural stone) stands filled with excited (mafia?) mobsters, Hiromi pounds right fist to left palm, then raises her hands and roars, like a gladiator to a colosseum crowd, at the conclusion of the bloodsports. And then she turns toward Hibiki and Mr. Big. "I saw enough. Your strength is sufficient," she says to the latter, and then, "You did not disappoint," to the former. All in all, she appears entirely satisfied.
Cantio	With the battle between Hiromi and Brooklynn concluded via roaring, Mr. Big and the mobsters alike cheer the combatants for the view before sliding off those (hopefully) temporary seating arrangements. "I'll take that as a compliment. And don't worry. We'll dig up what we can on those police boxes with what you and yours found. And when you're ready to really put the hurt on the cops, give us a call." He pauses for just a moment, then puts on that sleazy grin again that Hibiki might recognize from his 'offer' earlier. "Or for any other reasons you might have in mind." Mr. Big laughs, and the mobsters give him concerned looks as they start moving towards other areas of the warehouse to make sure they're as far from him as possible. <<"I've got what I needed, too. Good work, everyone! I'll get them in touch with the resistance to see if they can't get some more information on those boxes and... Um.">> Cantio speaks through the radio, pausing to look inside her crate of scavenged equipment and strangely colored jars. <<"I'll get you all updated once we've got some targets sorted out. Rest well!">>
Staren	Suddenly, Staren. She's made her way over to Hibiki and Mr. Big. "The problem isn't the police. I've looked into the hearts of both them and your followers, and they're not so different. Some do want to protect others with what power they have; or at least protect those close to them. The police want you gone so their jobs become cushier. Your guys want power so THEY can be in control, on top!" Staren points at Mr. Big. "As long as people are so shortsighted, society won't get better! Maybe you're a good guy, but you can't micromanage the whole city -- and you can't personally vet every single person in any position of power in your organization, both for morals and for competence." Staren points at Brooklyn and Hiromi, and then a thumb at herself. "Our goal is to fix this city for everyone. And the great thing is, then everyone gets it pretty great. You don't have haves who can only maintain their lifestyle by breaking the backs and the spirit of the have-nots! Look at how things are where Seilatiya made sure everyone had the basic resources they need." "...That's long-term, though. In the short term, I guess our best chance of MAKING these changes is getting you in charge and you helping us get the changes we need implemented. Right?"
Cantio	"Yeah? No shit." Mr. Big's response to Staren is fairly blunt at first, but he continues after letting that sink in a bit. "Nobody's down here because we like the place, and I'm sure as hell not planning on running this place. That's what a figurehead is for." Staren says that maybe he's a good guy, and he laughs again at that. "You know what a gang is, right? With guns?" He laughs again, even taking his shades off momentarily to wipe a tear away before slipping them back on. "Ah, shit... You're serious. Yeah... No. The big money's not in making sure everyone's happy, and women aren't going to line up in my bed just for putting food on everyone's table." If there's any remorse he has for his actions, he's certainly not showing it. Even probing into his mind will reveal that no, he's really not a good person at heart. There's a clear intent to abide by his word, at least, but that's probably the only good thing there. "If you want to fix this place up once the Mayor's out, be my guest. Become the new Mayor yourself for all I care, or put in that... Seilatiya's that hot one, right? Why not get her in there? But if you want to put me in and call the shots from somewhere else while I get paid and laid-" He actually pauses for a moment there, as if some gears have started turning. "... Yeah, that's not a bad idea." He means it.
Hibiki Tachibana	Hiromi claims the win, and as the cheers peak and the Archwolf addresses them, Hibiki gives a chuckle (that gets drowned out in all the sound) and a nod. Everything really did work out. Brooklyn also gets a nod and a thumbs up from her whenever she starts getting back up. Even though she doesn't say so out loud, she's glad those two worked things out and lessons were learned. Well, Mr. Big's sleazy grin still gets Hibiki putting a hand up against her own forehead with a slightly disgusted expression, but this time it's in a more 'god damnit, you' way than anything else. She didn't forget how he said Hiromi is his type. That said, the thinker look DID suit him. And now with Cantio radioing in, these seem done and dusted for the moment. Though Staren's sudden arrival gets her looking over to her and blinking. That's a lot of stuff for her to take in when she was just starting to wind back down, but between it and Mr. Big's gungho manner about dealing with the fuzz, she does speak up to say something herself on the matter. "...Well, for the short term, doing something about the police one way or another probably is the smartest idea. I don't wanna do it through hurting anyone if we can help it, and maybe we can - I mean, /this/ worked out better than I thought it would." Other than the arena in the middle of the place she also hopes isn't permanent. "We won't know until we know a little more and go visit uptown ourselves." There is a noticeable frown at not being included in the finger-pointing bit, but Hibiki glosses over that. Mr. Big's response gets her looking back at him briefly, with a small scratch to her cheek to the effect of that being just about how she expected a notorious gang leader who goes by Big to have reacted to that whole thing, before she glances back to Staren. "...As long as things are made better around here, I don't think it really matters who's running things at the very top, as long as we can trust them, right?"
Hiromi	Hiromi puts her hands against one section of the arena wall and parts it, creating an opening on her way out. But she doesn't see anything wrong with leaving the rest of it here, so here it stays.
Staren	Staren didn't feel right speaking for someone not in the Concord, that's all! You know what a gang is? With guns? In response, Staren draws her laser pistol to show, before reholstering it. Her eyes narrow slightly at the other comment and she crosses her arms. "You know, maybe that's the opposite of a self-fulfilling prophecy? Why would anyone line up for someone talking like they're points on a scorecard? But y'know, if everyone's able to meet their needs and have time for fun afterward, then you can throw whatever kinda parties you want and folks interested in that will actually be free to show up, right?" She shrugs. "I guess we'll sort out who's the figurehead and what their responsibilities are later." Staren nods at Hibiki wanting to avoid violence. "Yeah."