Scene #8058: Factory Fisticuffs

Owner	Pose
Kirishima	LAST TIME: "He was bringing the girl to that factory downtown." "We've got Elites from outside on our asses now, so we need to hurry up with his collection project or whatever it is he's working on. Weird old asshole." "If their boss is some creepy old dude... Oh, he's gonna regret messin' with me!" "Take me with you. I must see." NOW: With the kidnapping ring's potential escape vector exposed, the Elites joining Cody Travers are on the move to get to the factory named by one pseudo-Italian mercenary as a point of interest. Kirishima had commandeered a suitably large pickup truck to help them get there with speed, if not necessarily style considering the size of their new wrestler companion. Kirishima handles driving (since she doesn't trust Cody not to speed or Hugo to fit), Cody is slouched in the back looking ready to jump right out of the vehicle to punch someone, and Hugo munches on a baked potato while reclining in the cargo bed of the vehicle. The factory is in sight, the metallic exterior of the building clashing heavily with the more conventional brick buildings surrounding it. Even from a distance, the group can see the structure rising high into the sky, with somewhat narrow walkways on the upper level that cannot possibly be OSHA compliant with how few/no guardrails there are to keep someone from just falling right off. Upon arriving, though, the vehicle doesn't stop at the front of the factory. It's forced to stop just outside a dojo with a decently large crowd of unsavory-looking locals crowded around outside of it and blocking the street. Kirishima doesn't even bother honking the horn at them as, when the vehicle rolls to a stop, those same locals turn to stare right at her. Some of the slightly taller leaders gesture at the vehicle, prompting Hugo to disembark and Cody to nudge the office-ninja at the wheel. "What're you waitin' for?" "I'm not running people over with a truck. I have standards." "They want trouble anyway, but fine." Cody gets out of the car and squares up, and Kirishima does the same a moment later. "Why don'tcha turn around? This ain't none of your business!" "Leave the car here. We'll need it more than you when we're done here." "Leave the big one, too!" "Yeah, and the buff one!" There's a long, awkward pause, and then Kirishima looks over at the car. She seems tempted to get back in for some reason.
Timespace Riders	EARLIER, FAR AWAY FROM HERE "Woz," says Sougo, standing at the dining table in his uncle's clock repair shop. His hands are on the table, and he's standing like he's ready to go. "Can you use the book to find leads on more missing people?" Woz, the loyal retainer, heaves a sigh. "There are many such people, my Demon King. Surely not all of them are the work of Another Riders." This doesn't deter Sougo in the slightest. HERE, NOW Kamen Rider Zi-O didn't come here via jeep. In fact, it's unclear how he got here at all. His loyal retainer is perched dramatically atop the roof of a nearby building, unarmored. Zi-O's armor is white, pink and silver, with the breastplate and helmet resembling the band and face of a wristwatch, respectively. The helmet reads "RIDER" in pink katakana, with the classic rider antennae here represented as the hands of the watch. "When people go missing, it is my business," says Zi-O softly but firmly. "Please let us through." The hands on Zi-O's helmet begin to move--backwards. In the present, he appears to be standing still, waiting for a response. He is, in fact, visiting the pasts of the loudest voices within the crowd, those who appear to be the instigators and leaders here. Who in their lives could've inspired loyalty enough to get them to act this way--and more immediately important, is a fight the only way to clear them out?
Miyamomo	Miyamomo rides in the back with Hugo for two reasons. First is to give him the basic fundamentals of Iron style. She speaks of the muscles in the human body, their ability to tighten and loosen, the way they pull on the bones to allow articulation. And she speaks of the limits our body places on our muscles, least they pull and contract hard enough to tear themselves. Iron style is not just a way of fighting, but a way of cultivating the body to go beyond those limits at will, to turn ones muscles into an armor that can withstand any attack, and to strategically break their limits to maximize ones strikes and movements. She also sits in the back so she can stick her head out the side and feel the wind on her face. When the arrive, she hops out and walks up to the thugs outside the dojo, smiling pleasantly. Not even acknowledging their barbs and threats, she looks to Hugo and says, "Now, your first practical lesson! When you run, you keep your upper body stiff and upright, like you're scared you will fall over if you tilt forward too much. Now, watch me." Looking towards the thugs, she leans forward, touching her fist to the ground and spreading her legs wise. "A run begins with a good stance. The legs are the most important part, but you must brace your upper muscles too, and use your hands. Staying low and pumping your arms helps cut down on air resistance, allowing you to achieve greater speeds. But the legs are what we shall focus on for this lesson. I'm sure there's a proper name for them, but there are two key muscles here. The one along the front of your thigh for the step, and the one along the back for the stride forward," She traces the quadriceps and the gastrocnemius muscles as she speaks of them. "Concentrate on these, Hugo. Feel the way they flex and relax as you run. And then envision them going faster, harder. Imagine their coils being denser, thicker. Like braided Iron." And then she explodes forward, her takeoff cracking the ground underfoot. An explosive run, surely a new land speed record for a biped. And then she turns this run into a shoulder check of such explosive force on one of the thugs that they, and everyone behind them, probably wish they had just been hit by that truck.
Ishirou	Ishirou, somewhere else, heard that Kirishima needed help with kidnappers. Ishirou is all down for helping stop kidnappers and helping Kirishima. Though Ishirou was still behind on the details, and also how to get there. He considers carefully what he has at his disposal. The AVCS is still very critically damaged. Repairs on that have been delayed so that the R.E.S.C.U.E. unit could be developed, also they were sort of...salvaging the AVCS. The base R.E.S.C.U.E. Unit was still not combat tested, and still had some bugs. Though the flight support unit was available, thanks to the sacrifice of the AVCS. Moments later, out of the portal Ishirou is seen running. "Alright...well let's hope this works and I don't explode. POD...Initiate RESCUE!" There is a flash of light, and Ishirou is in a black outfit, though still wire-y in some places. The POD is gone too, though some of it seems to be connected to a 'backpack' and another part of it centered around Ishirou's face as a sort of helmet. "Mm. Still not complete. Alright, Flight Unit deploy!" he calls out, which a smaller version of the AVCS deploys, and breaks apart in front of him. Ishirou dashes each part. Arms, Legs, shoulder, and then chest. The flight unit appears, centering Ishirou in the center. It boosts off and takes flight. Moments later, Ishirou appears overhead, as he starts his own scans. Can he detect any biometrics of a large group of people who aren't about to fight? They might be where the victims are.
Kirishima	Zi-O searches for answers, and he finds them easily within those among the rabble. Foolish as they are, their minds are as clear as their brains are smooth, and they all rally under the banner of a man named Belger. They've been paid (relatively) handsomely to come here, too, and it's fairly easy to tell from both their steady advance on the group and the paychecks (technically cashed at a check cashing place rather than a bank) that a fight or some promise of large violence are the most likely ways to set them aside. "Sorry, ranger boy! If you ain't gonna move, then we're gonna have to move you!" "We're not very sorry, if that wasn't clear." "That was the implication, ya dingus!" For his part, though, he and his retainer might find some relief in the fact that they aren't particularly well armed. Some knives, bottles, and even a few pipes or chains, but nothing particularly crazy like swords or guns or anything like that. They're still advancing, though, and there's plenty of them! Hugo, meanwhile, had taken Miyamomo's lessons to heart. Although he's not a particularly wise man by any means, her words actually seemed to stick even if his face still carries that same dullness to it even after leaving the vehicle. She can even hear him murmuring to himself while disembarking, only stopping to listen when she advises him on how to charge right into the group of thugs. Somehow, Hugo is one of the few people here that isn't staring at her for unwholesome reasons. He actually imitates her positioning (with considerable difficulty, but still), and he goes wide eyed when she just blasts herself right into the crowd, sending the unfortunate thug and his buddies behind him hurtling backwards into the street. With a confident shout, he follows her lead, and he practically hurls himself forward, perhaps taking a little too much air while still managing to move considerably faster than he ever has while slamming into a good half dozen of the gang through girth alone. Ishirou taking flight actually gives him quite a good view of everything going on below and then some. He can see that there's plenty more of those thugs loitering in that non-OSHA compliant industrial hell, perhaps the only people in the area content to not fight for the time being. There's also people watching this spectacle from their homes in the nearby buildings as well, but the biometrics don't catch a particularly large group of anyone that might be a match for a batch of kidnapped people. There are, however, a few odder readings within the factory itself. Magical ones, even, along with two people on opposite ends of the upper floors that don't have a heightened heart rate at all. One of them might not even be conscious, but the other simply seems to be resting despite being fully awake. Kirishima and Cody aren't going to let the fight go on without them, of course, as they charge forward to start laying out some of those thugs as well. They only stop momentarily when the doors to the dojo burst open from one of those vest-wearing ruffians getting knocked through them, followed by a pair of martial artists in blue and orange gis stepping out to see what's going on outside. Neither of them look pleased about this whole thing, and they start taking it out on the nearest thugs immediately. Should any of the Elites get too close, though, they might find themselves getting swung at with well-trained fists and feet!
Ishirou	Ishirou shares what he's discovered along and then considers what's in the way. They need to get to the factory-warehouse-whatever...and they're going to be fighting through all of those people out front. Alright...then let's see here! Ishirou starts targeting the obvious bad dudes watching the other bad dudes try and hurt his allies. He makes lock-on's on them, before flying fast overhead. What follows in his wake are lasers raining down, aiming to barrage the thugs from the sky. "Again!" he flies by a second time, and this time lasers start falling from a different direction. During all of this, he takes a more focused scan on the magical readings and the strange sleep but not sleep readings.
Timespace Riders	"Uwoohh!" Zi-O's buffoonish cry of astonishment warbles with his balance, the Rider nearly falling over backwards with the passage of Miyamomo. That really seems to have distracted him from saying something heroic--and, regaining his balance, all he can think is to hang upon one word. "Ranger...? Oh! Right. I think... you should stop cashing your checks at places like that. I can't believe the cashing fee they asked you for! But more than that... " Lifting an index triumphantly, "Working for guys like Belger always comes back to bite you!" OOO! A red, yellow and green pocketwatch is slotted into the left side of the Driver around his waist. The LCD chronometer reads AU18. The frantic ticking of a clock is heard, before Zi-O spins the Driver. ARMOR TIME! Three mechanical creatures--a hawk, a lion and a grasshopper--rush into view, disassembling themselves and reforming as a winged helmet, a breastplate with pauldrons and clawed gauntlets, and plated greaves, all snapping onto him. Taka! Tora! Batta! o/` O-zu!~ o/` Pneumatic jump-jacks spring from the armor's hopper-legs, and Zi-O leaps overhead. Bouncing on heads, shoulders and backs, his jumps not only carry him through the crowd, but serve as attacks unto themselves, the powerful pistons hammering into the goons with audible, heavy impacts. Leaping in between Ishirou's lasers and crossing back and forth over the furrow Miyamomo (no doubt, her student, too), Zi-O's goal is to get to the factory. "See you later!" That's not the catchphrase.
Miyamomo	"A fine first try!" Miyamomo calls to Hugo as he barrels into the crowd of thugs. Those lucky enough to avoid getting slammed by the two get to feel what it's like to get punched and kicked with muscle-enhanced limbs. It's not great! Almost akin to getting shot with fist-sized bullets. But then someone gets yeeted into the dojo, and two practitioners emerge to join the fray. Miyamomo's face lights up at the sights of the gi, and she stops to watch the two work. "Hmm, good form, practised strikes~ Hello hello! I apologize for the door. I am Miyamomo, master of the nameless style, and I and my cohorts here are on... oh, it was a rescue mission I believe." She bows, a strong formal bow. And when a thug tries to get the jump on her while she does this, she leans forward further to avoid his strike, going into a handstand and wrapping her thighs around his neck. Then from the handstand, she launches she and him into the air, corkscrewing the whole way before bringing his head in hard contact with the ground. It's a clear verification of her words at least. "Would you like to come with us? I'm open to teaching you a thing or two as payment if you require it~ But saving the fair maiden and ensuring true love may blossom is it's own reward, don't you think?"
Kirishima	The spectators in denim vests and bearing the greasy tousled hair don't stand much of a chance against Ishirou's laser spam from the sky. The bottles they try flinging at him are about the furthest thing from anti-air weaponry coming in just below actual boulders, and the particularly unlucky ones get those bottles blasted right back into their hands and also the rest of their arms when those bottles explode from getting hit with lasers. The luckier ones start retreating into the interior of the factory's upper floors through the conspicuously massive doors before the giant steel grates slam shut to try and keep anyone else out. There's also a control panel conveniently right outside of that steel grate-covered entrance. Zi-O's concern for the thugs' check-cashing practices, strangely enough, actually gets a few of them to pause in their advance. It's not enough to get them to stop swinging at the blue and orange martial artists when they get too close for comfort, but there's a notable shift away from trying to swing at Zi-O at least for a couple of moments until he transforms from one colorful suit of armor to the next. "What else're we supposed to do, eh, smart guy? Our career prospects ain't too promisin' in today's economy!" Vaguely aware of things as some of them might be, they're still not aware enough to try and get out of the jumping Rider's way. They take swings at where he is rather than where he's going with those bursts of speed, and a whole bunch of them are brought down by those stomping jumps that take Zi-O right to the freight elevator on the ground. "This is the power of Master's Iron Style... I can feel it!" Hugo announces with another proud shout, still struggling to internalize some of that earlier tutelage in the middle of joining Miyamomo in clobbering the shit out of so many of those thugs. She can certainly feel that everyone she's beating up is decently strong, but only in the 'working out enough to look tough' sense rather than the 'actually good fighters' sense. She might get a distinctly different vibe from the martial artists in blue and orange. They size her up briefly before dispatching another pair of thugs with synchronized backhands, then bow quickly in return to her. "Nameless...? Oh. Billy Lee." "Jimmy Lee, teachers at this Double Dragon Dojo." He points at the sign. "Sorry, but we can't stay long. We have our own- "-Rescue mission? Wait, you know where Marion is?" Cody approaches the three after punching down the last of the thugs outside the factory's ground floor, scowling briefly in turn while still looking just as ready to get back to beating up the rest of the factory. "Jessica, not Marion. Unless... Hold up. They took your girlfriend, too?" "Friend. Just... Friend." "Sure, whatever you say. But if your girl's missing, and our... 'Friend' is missing, then this might be something bigger." "Agreed. Let's go, Miss Miyamomo!" And so, the Double Dragon brothers of Billy and Jimmy have joined the group! There's a clear path to the elevator leading up to the top floor, although the door is barred by thick steel grates and a conspicuous control panel. There's also windows higher up that would be far too high for regular/conventional martial artists or hulking wrestlers to reach.
Ishirou	Ishirou bombards the bad guys into running or fainting. They can be cleaned up later for jailing for various bad things, but right now trying to rescue people is important! Oh hey, the way in is being shut...but there is a convient and conspicuous control panel! Hurray! Ishirou holds a hand out at it...to...hack it? No, to use remote manipulation to open it. Why would you hack something that's obviously analog...ha ha ha...ha ha...ha... Shut up Go. Ishirou flips from being in a more flight-oriented configuration to a more humanoid mode. Landing next to the others he speaks up, "Hello...Oh, I see we have more friends. Hi, I'm Ishirou!"
Timespace Riders	"You'll figure it out! I believe in you!" The advancing rider calls back to the goons, before he finds himself faced with a freight elevator. A locked one. <J-IC-Scene> Ishirou says, "I'll get that door for you guys!" <J-IC-Scene> Sougo Tokiwa says, "Thanks, Ishirou!" The three-color Rider waits politely. He, too, introduces himself. "Hi, I'm Sougo Tokiwa! But when I'm in the armor, you can call me Zi-O for short." He makes an exaggerated bow (since his warm smile is hidden behind red bird-helmet). Once Ishirou has the door open, Sougo extends one of his yellow clawed gauntlets. Medja-Miraiber! A straight sword with a slight curve at the middle of the blade appears in his waiting hand. The sword looks like it has a large coin slot (?) near the crossguard. If no one else elects to, then he'll push whatever looks like the 'go' button. It's probably best of someone else does, given by the way he finger-hovers over the controls like an old person.
Miyamomo	Miyamomo gasps! "Even more kidnappings! Even more love at risk!" She might be tearing up a little as she takes the twins' hands in her own. "Please, join us! Together, we will rescue Marion and Jessica both!" And with that she dashes towards the factory, woe upon any thugs who cross her path. Twice the love at risk means she needs to hit twice as hard!
Kirishima	"Billy Lee." "Jimmy Lee." "Cody." "Hugo." "Kirishima." Ishirou's introduction starts a brief cascade of everyoen formally introducing themselves to each other, and it's all weirdly politely despite the clear tension from the surrounding kidnapping situation going on. Unified with both actual words and having a clear goal, however, they head for the entrance to the factory as the grates slide upwards. Could they have figured it out themselves? Some of them, probably, but Ishirou enables them to get in there with a dramatic stride! And also protects Sougo from having to push the controls like an old person, it seems. From the corner of Zi-O's eye, however, he can see movement from the fallen gangsters. Are they...? No, it's not a threatening movement. Rather, some of them start raising their hands from their facedown and prone positions on the floor, slowly extending their fingers into a thumbs-up. Getting beaten up so soundly by so many Elites and locals without even standing close to a chance isn't great on their morale, and... Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea for them to consider other career prospects. Something less gang-y, but more... Uniformed, perhaps? Perhaps even something related to that strange costumed guy... The sheer number of kidnappings isn't unnoticed, and Miyamomo makes it even more obvious. "I wonder if it's just a coincidence, or... Hmn. It's too early to guess." Kirishima comments, shaking her head before gesturing at the brothers to follow and promptly starts running up the wall of the factory towards one of those windows. As everyone (except Kirishima) starts filtering inside, they catch a glimpse of a white skinned bald man in a purple robe. He's speaking to a pair of (relatively) giant men, one looking like a wasteland reject with spiked shoulderpads, a sleeveless denim vest, and too much facial hair. The other is wearing a similar set of spiked shoulderpads, but with long straps crossing over his bare gut and a spiked metal dome covering his entire head. Hearing the approaching group, the man in the purple robe glances back at them before turning back to the pair. "Take care of it." He orders in a raspy voice, then melts into a burst of gray smoke and disappears in time for the pair to start charging at the group. Anyone that can sense magical energy might notice that... Yes, it's magic. One of the magical signals even disappears outright with that, but there's somehow still two signatures remaining in the factory. The hairy man in the denim vest lunges forward with well-practiced and deceptively swift jumping knees that feel less like a knee and more like getting clobbered head-on with a missile. The helmeted man, meanwhile, fights via constant and rapid leaps that end with him slamming headfirst into the ground, launching all manner of spikes around him and striking the ground with enough force to let loose with stomach-churning shockwaves each time!
Ishirou	Ishiriou follows in behind the group, watching as the goons start surrendering. Smart, and he understands that things might be the way they are because they don't realize that Capitalism is a lie, and money is fake. It's fine, Zi-O seems to be willing to take care of them, and as they roll up, the man with a magical signal turns, orders, and disappears. "Hey, get back here I have qu-...wow. Rude," Ishirou says, what a jerk! He had questions! However, the other two start moving and move with devastating speed and power. Ishirou goes on the back foot, trying to avoid being shot in the chest, but that opens him up to the shockwaves, which ground him for a moment in pain. His head turns up to start scanning. He just needs to know how these people move, and he takes to the air again. There...he probably has enough data to start! Ishirou connects a HUD for everyone using magic to do so and then starts transmitting important information. Specifically, scanning them, and setting up strategies for people. "Hugo! Cody! Split up and focus on each one, Hugo on the rocket leg guy, and Cody on the shockwave. Billy, back up Hugo, Jimmy back up Cody..." he says, and acting just as he instructs actually provides a lot of benefits. "Miss Miyamomo...hold for just a little bit.." he asks and then signals something. "There! Attack right when their movements are hindered the most!" Ishirou follows through by providing a barrage of missiles and cover fire, aiming to restrict the two men's movements to further provide aid.
Miyamomo	Finally within the factory itself with her students (yes she's already decided Billy and Jimmy are those, even if they never accepted her offer to teach), Miyamomo looks to the two large men barring their way. They're remarkably agile for their size and cover each other well. One strikes with impactful rising knees, and the other provides area denial with shockwaves and spikes. She wants to go right in, it's obvious. But Ishirou asks her to hold, and she complies but she is visibly vibrating to get in. The moment the letter 'T' leaves his mouth, she's in, launching a flurry of fast blows at vital points on the fellow in the helmet! "Watch well students! This is Steam style! Strike with precision, exploit the body's weak points! Strike with ferocity, and create wounds you can then strike again and again! Leave them battered and broken!"
Timespace Riders	The elevator ride passes without much from Zi-O (save a thumbs up at the defeated gangsters). When the door opens, he readies his sword, holding it two-handed. "Hey! Wait--" But it's too late--the one he'd assume to be Belger (or at least, someone in a position to give orders) has little interest in sticking around. <J-IC-Scene> Ishirou says, "Let me scan them, and I'll coordinate..." "Got it! I'll keep this guy bus--EE!" Sparks fly from his sword as he attempts to use the flat of the blade to block the incoming knee from the hairy henchman. Pushed back across the factory floor, the jump jacks digging scores into it to keep him from being bowled over by the impact. His own knee comes up, aimed at his opponent's ribs as he lands. Zi-O then strafes, making a leaping, piston-boosted dropkick meant to impact his back, shoving the henchman towards Hugo. Pressing the stop on the Timespace Driver, Zi-O leaps into the air. SCANNING TIME BREAK!! Three circular, gold-rimmed gates (really, like giant medallions) trace a path from him to the henchman he'd kicked towards Hugo. Red, then yellow, then green, Zi-O crosses through each, his speed increasing and the air burning hotter with each, until his foot (heel bearing a pink katakana 'KICK') impacts with explosive force.
Kirishima	Ishirou's scans reveal that the hairy man (Jim) is actually similar physically to Billy and Jimmy: Naturally powerful, with all of his abilities coming from pure physical skill and/or whatever's getting his heart to beat so fast. It might be magic if the lingering traces of magical energy on him are any indication, but they're clearly not coming from him. Even his rapid knee strikes, fast as they are, aren't even bolstered by rockets or anything techy like that. His legs are just that strong. The spike helmeted man (Burnov), meanwhile, has a similar physical gift that seems to lend itself more towards his high flying, high impact style. He actually seems rather pleased with the way the fight is going on, though, despite the fact that he's smashing his helmeted head into the ground just to try and launch projectiles at the Elites instead of doing anything more practical-looking. It's certainly working to keep the Lee brothers at bay, though, while Cody's busy trying to get some solid hits in against Jim. It's not until a strategy is called for that things start to turn around. With Miyamomo waiting in the wings, the four locals get into position as they square up with their identified opponents. Hugo takes a wider stance to intentionally make himself a larger target for knee-striker and stop him momentarily with Billy swerving around them to start striking at his legs, and Cody shifts into a more agile-ish weaving stance to try getting around the spike-launcher's projectiles while Jimmy follows in his wake to present an overall smaller target before they both catch him in a pincer attack. That gives Miyamomo and Zi-O the openings they need to really lay into them. Miyamomo's precise blows against all of Burnov's unprotected body parts are met with attempts to swat her away, but she strikes too fast for him to defend all those joints and organs that he can't just rely on muscle or fat to protect. He starts going down, smashing his head into the ground once more in a last ditch effort to ward her off before collapsing under his own weight. Zi-O's own high-flying maneuvers, meanwhile, put Jim's to shame just from pure vertical clearance alone. The formation of those giant medallions is certainly far beyond his ability to create just by being freaking swole, and the rapidly accelerating dive kick catches him square in the chest (and entire body). The combined impact sends Jim flying back with a pained and bloody yell, and he lands in a heap not too far from where Burnov lies motionless. The first stage's bosses have been soundly defeated, and an opportunity to interrogate them or eve search the premises begins! -MEANWHILE- Kirishima finally makes it up that wall to the window, and she breaks in with a dramatic crash! The problem: She's found herself in a different room entirely, apparently in some kind of skybox overlooking the factory. It isn't quite clear how a normal person is supposed to actually get up here, since there's no ladders or stairs on the outside leading further down.
Ishirou	Ishirou is sweating a little bit. Glad that the strategy worked so effectively...and that everyone was in on it! "Good job guys, and thanks for listening! Well, if two people want to stay with me and restrain them, I can get answers out of them...and I can ping on the map where the other magical source is. The other source is where Kirishima is, rescuing someone!" With that, he will help guide people toward that other person, while he turns towards the defeated guys. "Hello! I'm Ishirou, and I want to ask you some questions.." he says, holding a hand up to them and using BIOHACKING to start looking in on their thoughts. He starts asking them the usual, who are they? Who do they work for? Where are the people they helped kidnapped? Who was the magic man that disappeared? What are the goals of this man slash organization? He also listens to their surface thoughts and tries to probe deeper as he asks.
Miyamomo	"Ahhh~ That was satisfying. I hope this third-person perspective helped you understand my student; size isn't everything. A bigger body means bigger vitals," Miyamomo says to Hugo before considering the two men. "Ah, I have an idea. Everyone give me some room please." Suddenly, her form dissolves into violet smoke, reconstitution into... the bald robed man! She bends down and slaps Jim's face to try and rouse him. "Wake up," she rasps, even imitating the man's voice based on that command. "You need to transport the two we have upstairs. Do you remember where, or did they hit you too hard?"
Timespace Riders	Zi-O removes both the Ridewatch with his armored face, and that of OOOs. His armor deconstructed in a flash of pink light, he's left with the Timespace Driver fastened around his waist, the LCD chonrometer flashing AU30 before powering down. Sougo Tokiwa doesn't look that physically imposing. Not the brown medium-length hair just shy of being in his eyes, not the baggy gold button up, certainly not the khakis-and-red-sneakers combo. He is probably tied for the least beat-em-up-looking guy here with Ishirou. "It looks like you've got these guys handled," he says to Ishirou, placing a hand on his shoulder and smiling warmly. "Kirishima, huh? So that's her name. While she works up there... hey, Woz, are you here?" The loyal retainer appears in a billowing, space-defying expansion of his own scarf, from nothing. He bends knee immediately upon his exit. Sougo laughs bashfully. "You're embarrassing me," he says, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. "Um... anyway... there was a guy in here with a purple robe. He disappeared the minute we came through, but I don't think this is going to stop without stopping him. Can you find him, please?" "But of course, my Demon King," Woz answers as he rises. Naturally, the book is tucked beneath one arm. "According to this book," he says, cracking it open, "His powers of teleportation are formidable." Woz frowns, his brow furrowed. "Not only has he moved beyond this land to a place known as River City, but many of those he has kidnapped have themselves been moved to a different continent." The book snaps shut. "But I've said too much.~" He smiles archly, tucking the book away.
Kirishima	Weirdly enough, Ishirou's guidance towards the second magical energy source doesn't actually need to go too far. Why? Because it's actually coming from the man in the spiked helmet! He barely stirs as Ishirou starts asking his questions and doing some biohacking to get into his and the hairy man's head, and the difference between the two is stark. Jim's mind is easy enough to read. He's ~~a fandom.com entry~~ one of the leaders of the Neo Black Warriors, a gang operating out of this section of Metro City. He's working for Belger, the same one that had been mentioned a few times before. He doesn't know where they've been taken, to, though, just that they've been taken somewhere far away. That difference ends up being easy to see, even, when Miyamomo transforms herself into the spitting image of the bald man and rouses hairy Jim back to consciousness. "Guh.. What? Huh? The two...? I thought you already left with the brunette. The old lady ain't useful anymore, though. Where's... Where're those asshole brothers? I still... Need to get my hands on 'em!" Billy and Jimmy exchange confused looks, then shrug. Ishirou gets a clearer picture of why he's so angry at the two: Jim's brother (Willy) was killed by them years ago when he had kidnapped Marion on another occasion. Hugo, meanwhile, is the only one of the locals that isn't freaked out by the transformation. He's busy considering how to internalize the concept of bigger bodies and bigger vitals while staring at his hand. He even jabs in front of himself a few times with his fingers pointed, as though trying to find the right shape for weak point thrusting instead of just brute force smashing. It might not help that his thumb is probably as big as some people's hands, though. Sougo questions Woz about the purple robe guy, and he reveals some more key information about his destination and that of the teleported kidnapping victims. The off-content destination might be concerning, but River City being named certainly gives the group a substantial lead to work off of! "So if we head to this River City..." "We find our man." "And through him, we'll find Marion! And Jennifer." "Jessica." Eventually, Kirishima regroups with everyone once she gives up trying to find a ladder and just slowly walks down the wall outside of the skybox overlooking the factory. It takes a bit, but at least she's coming down safely, and the reasno why becomes clear: She's carrying an old lady! After getting set down, the old woman brushes off her robes, peers at each of the Elites gathered, then bows lightly before speaking in fluent Japanese. "I am Hiruko, a fortune teller. I have information about the girls' disappearances." She looks towards Cody, then Billy and Jimmy. "Their captors are searching for the Sacred Stones of Power, said to be change the world when they become one through the power of the seven." She explains, then coughs lightly into her hand while Cody approaches her with a skeptical eye. "So what's that have to do with Jessica and Mariah?" "Marion." They will never get each others' '''friends''' names right at this rate. "I was getting to that, young man... If we get those stones before they do, then they won't have a choice but to come to you. Without the stones, they cannot unleash the power of the seven. Without the seven, the stones are useless."
Ishirou	Ishirou files the information away, storing it in POD for later retrieval, as well as forwarding this to people assembled. Though he's of mixed feelings on the man wanting revenge for his dead brother...who kidnapped someone and got dead because of that kidnapping. "Two wrongs don't make a right. He was kidnapping someone, and now you're following in his footsteps and doing the same way..." he pause staring at him. "Live a better life. The best revenge is to live a good life, that makes you happy. Going this route will just..." he sighs, "It'll make sure you end up following your brother. I don't think he'd want that." Ishirou gives Sougo a nod when he feels his hand on his shoulder. "Thanks. It's what I do," he says, with a sunny smile. Though with Woz coming on the scene he wonders about something. Is Woz really loyal, or pretended and manipulated Sougo..? Is the reason for that future that Sougo is trying to avoid Woz himself..? He's not sure...but those are later questions. With the old lady appearing he squints at her a little. "That doesn't answer their question. What does this have to do with Marion and Jessica? Why kidnap them?" he asks, but as he does so attempts to see her surface thoughts too. Something about the way she answered that doesn't feel right...and Woz being more helpful than usual...hm.
Kirishima	The man with the spiked helmet's thought processes, meanwhile, don't really... Exist. He barely even responds when Miyamomo transforms, and it's pretty clear there's something severely wrong with him when he stands and starts drying up. Intensely drying up, even, to the point of his entire body just turning into a pile of dust, leaving behind only his weird harness thing, his helmet, and his empty pants.
Miyamomo	"Perhaps the stones are metaphorical? Maybe these 'friends' are the stones somehow?" Miyamomo considers. But as the helmeted man turns to dust, she gasps. "Good heavens... what forces is the man meddling with?" She seems... annoyed somehow, a frown flickering across her face for the first time.
Kirishima	"Two wr... The hell are you going on about? I don't give a fuck about what he did. Willy was my brother!" Jim spits at Ishirou, both figuratively and literally in his rather obvious anger that's only barely tempered by Purple Man featuring Miyamomo. Hiruko, meanwhile, sighs lightly as Ishirou asks about the connection between the stones and those that have been kidnapped. Her surface thoughts are oddly hazy, as though something or someone is intentionally obfuscating some of them, but not all of them. He can catch snippets of her thinking rather unkind things about him in that way that old people are so good at, but the rest is mired in a strange fog. "She mentioned something about 'the seven' earlier. Are they part of that... Prophecy? Prediction?" Billy asks, trying to recall Hiruko's words from earlier. "I knew some of you would have some sense. Yes, listen to Bimmy." "Billy." "Yes, yes, whatever. That's what the tales say, and no, they're not metaphorical stones." She answers Miyamomo next, jerking back at the sight of the dusted man before slouching a bit against Kirishima's leg to take some of the pressure off her own feet. "The stones are very real things, and the Sacred Seven are said to have the power to unite them once gathered. Now..." She straightens back up and gives Kirishima a light pat on the leg in thanks, then gestures at Woz. She opens her mouth to speak, pauses to stare at/ogle him a bit, then continues. "Your flamboyant friend mentioned River City. The first stone is there, if you want to rush over and catch that man in purple before he takes the next of the seven, too." "It'll take us a while to get there from here, but... We have a destination now." "And then we'll get Jessica back!" "I thought the blonde one's girlfriend was off this land." "And Marion, too... But if we catch the man in purple, we'll find them." "And then we'll really lay the hurt on whoever's behind all this!"