4GFFG: Round One: Non Combat thread.

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Inferno
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Re: 4GFFG: Round One: Non Combat thread.

Marcus passed Dante and Reaper in the hallway, the latter making a simple head nod indicated that they had found a potential manufacturer. He smiled. Everything was slowly, steadily, falling into place. He didn't need to win the fight- he would have an army either way. His nation would get better with or without winning. After the fight, Marcus had spent a few hours sleeping off the pain, followed by briefing Dante and Reaper on their goal, and then getting dressed for a very late dinner.

Wearing his nice Armani suit, he walked into the bar. "Well," he observed jokingly, "I guess my idiot cousin didn't ruin this place completely." He sat down at a table close to the bar and waited for the waiter to come over. He sensed that he didn't want to get too close to the exasperated bartender. When the waiter did come over, Marcus ordered a very large chicken meal, with garlic bread and a very light, if not exotic wine that valued taste over alcohol content.

He looked at the TV. Apparently, Neo-America seemed to be doing very well. Marcus wasn't entirely sure if that was who he would be fighting next- he had lost his schedule to poor organizers. He relaxed, leaned back, and watched the fight, taking a side glance at Rin. He had read Dante's blog, and he wasn't sure if he should apologize for his crude compliment, or just say nothing at all. He pedaled those thoughts to the back of his mind when the food arrived. That blog could cause an international sca-FOOOOOOOOOOOOD
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Re: 4GFFG: Round One: Non Combat thread.

Rin took note of the Italian fighter when he entered, but deigned to continue to watch the highlights of the match to the end. After the American highlights they began to show the highlights of her own match and the talking heads quickly slipped into useless speculation about the fight between them tomorrow. Grabbing a second ochoko from the bartender and the bottle of sake, Rin got up from the bar and unceremoniously plopped herself into the seat across from Marcus at his table.
She grinned at him for a moment; The discrepancy between their outfits, (him in an expensive suit and her in in tight jeans and a cheap t-shirt) despite their both coming from money and privilege was distractingly droll, at least to her. "Congratulations on your victory," she said finally, and poured a bit of sake for each of them, "Though, I had imagined that you'd be being interviewed that by your.. cousin? Is that your relation?" She got a bit of unconscious nod from Marcus as she passed the little cup towards him, "Right, being interviewed by your cousin about your glorious win instead of sending him around with a quantum locked briefcase full of secrets."
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Re: 4GFFG: Round One: Non Combat thread.

Marcus chuckled. "That, my dear, is for me to know and for you to find out." Of course she -seems- reliable. But I can't just go spilling the beans in public. He looked at her. "I did read his interview. I have to say, you probably gave the most intelligent responses out of everyone." He moved the Sake away. "Thanks, but that's a bit too strong. Might not work out with my workout." He smirked at his own pun. "Dedicated training, you know? Eat as many carbohydrates as possible, then hit the gym. Sleep, fight, repeat." He took a sip of the wine. "I did read your interview: Probably has to be the smartest response out of all of them. I already know how mine will read in the foreign papers: 'I hit it until it can't hit back.' Not the smartest, but it's never failed yet."
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Re: 4GFFG: Round One: Non Combat thread.

"There is nothing wrong with such a strategy," Rin replied genuinely, and took a sip of sake while she studied him briefly. "And thank you for the complement; Your cousin asked for my thoughts on you in that interview too, but I'm afraid I had no impressions of you to give at the time. That's partially why I came over, I wanted to get a solid impression of you, now I could answer him:" She leaned back into her chair and drained the last of the sake in the cup before answering.
"I think, that in the best possible way, you are a simple man with a solid, unshakable core. Like a single, solid stone pillar sunk deep into the ground. You can cover it in expensive trappings," she gestured to the suit, "but it is strong even without them. It's rare to find that amongst people like us, even I doubt I would survive a change in lifestyle."
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Re: 4GFFG: Round One: Non Combat thread.

inside the gym onboard o'malley's airship, dozen of powerful thuds could be heard as kydan tried to beat the life out of a punching bag, still insensed beyond belief over his defeat at the hands of the neo-italian, while as a soldier he knew that in the heat of combat any move to ensure victory was fair game, it did nothing to soothe his wounded pride.

and then there was the issue of his opponents last name, he remembered back during the war of a shipping company by that name who sold guns to anyone and everyone, often at hugely inflated prices, and many of the weapons sold were third rate in terms of quality, their malfunctions leading to many a dead comrade, besides that the fact alone that a third party was exploiting and sounght financial gain from his countrymen's struggle for freedom made his blood boil, they were like parasites, feeding off of the toiling of others.

as he threw one last punch he checked the time, wondering if the bar served hot meals, afterall he was exhausted and needed all the energy he could get, especially if he wanted to force reparations from certain parties for the injustice of the past.


---


elsewhere, astride a cobalt blue motorcycle, allison was having the time of her life, against her expectations, the nurburgring was exactly where the locals said it was, and was still in reasonably good condition, never before had she been able to go so fast on two wheels in her life, but it was getting late, so she figured it was best to pack up and head for the bar at o'malleys, and wind down with a drink or three.

as she weaved through the streets, she suddenly stopped as she caught sight of something, it was a large hoverbus, with a dozen news vans gathered neaby, but that wasn't what interested her, no what she found interesting was how they were arranged and what looked like a decent impromptu ramp nearby, grinning wickedly she gently revved the engine, the opportunity being presented was too good to pass up in her eyes
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Re: 4GFFG: Round One: Non Combat thread.

Dante and Reaper entered the elevator, waiting for Felicia. Dante reclined in the elevator, mentally drafting an article for his column praising the Gundam Fights and the commission, when Reaper suddenly turned to him. "What was the name of Marcus's opponent again?"

"Uhhhhhhhhh... Kydan... Kydan something..."

"Kydan Kassan?"

"Yeah that was it."

Reaper grew even more tense than usual and handed Dante the briefcase. "Normally I would be loathe to trust you with this assignment alone, but Marcus is currently a higher priority. He reached to grab something in his pocket and handed it to Dante. "If things go bad, use this." Dante looked to see a very large grenade. "It's only a dud, but it should let you bluff your way to safety. That's actually an anti-Gundam grenade model."

"How about something that works?" Reaper handed him a Swiss army knife. "What, no guns?"

"It's for your own good, you'd be more likely to hurt yourself. Now just make the deal and head back to the ship."

"Hey, I can use a gu-" Before he could respond, Reaper had already sped down the hallway.

----------------------

Marcus smiled at the compliment. "Personally, I put survival above all else. Because if you can survive, then you can get back up, get back to where you were, and keep on going. Never stop trying to get back up. Of course," He said, thinking back to the Neo-Israel fight, "if someone knocks you down, they deserve the credit for it. After all, taking me out is quite the achievement."

Before he could continue his pleasant conversation, Reaper entered the bar carrying a heavy SMG with a grenade launcher attached. "Sir, I need your immediate attention. In private."

Marcus turned to Rin. "Please excuse me for a moment." He got up and went to Reaper. "I am missing good food and wine, you better have a good reason for all of this." Reaper gestured to a corner, and the two proceeded there.

In a far more subdued voice that could actually hide secrets, Reaper began. "Sir, I actually do have reasons to be worried about your security. Your opponent today, Kydan Kassan- He is familiar to me. We've met before."

Marcus was taken back. Equally quiet, he inquired "You have?"

"In the Neo-Kurdistani War for Independence. Allow me to elaborate. During the war, your father saw a business opportunity to sell arms to both sides. The Neo-Iraqis had all the oil, so they had enough money to buy sophisticated and advanced weapons and vehicles, even fielding a few mobile suits."

Marcus knew what would come next. "How much could the Rebels afford?"

"We gave them what they could afford: Cheap, broken weapons that mostly had been recalled as safety hazards. Or had never been maintained due to being outdated. Some we got straight from a junk yard."

"And what were you doing there?"

"I was running mercenary work for the Neo-Iraqi forces, handling more sensitive assignments that ordinary soldiers would not be suited for." Marcus frowned, knowing that he probably meant war crimes. "I had heard talk from many captured prisoners, boasting of Kassan's martial prowess and how we would be punished for our actions."

"What exactly were our 'actions'?"

"Well, for starters, smuggling chemical warheads into Neo-Iraq. Then using them on Rebel sympathizers. Then masquerading as rebels to kill anyone who saw the family's involvement."

"What."

"Never mind, that wasn't important. What matters is, I did encounter Kassan on one mission. They were trying to preemptively stop one of our strikes on a rebel hotbed. I easily dispatched most of the Rebel forces. But it seemed that this Kassan seemed to have killed every man but me. I got one look at him. He was only a child. I fear he may be seeking vengance against the family, mainly you."

"If he was so skilled, why didn't you stop him then and there?"

"The Chem-missiles were already launched and the mission was accomplished. I had no need to waste my time fighting him when there was nothing he could do. In the end, the strike wiped out all resistance forces in the area, barring Kassan."

"And civilians?" There was an awkward silence.

"I only do what I am paid to do, sir. I am a gun, and someone pulls my trigger. Regardless, Kassan will likely come for you. Therefore, I will not leave you unattended."

Annoyed, Marcus returned to his dinner, with Reaper moving to a position where he could observe the entire room, SMG in hand. "I'm sorry for the interruption," he said to Rin. "Now, where were we? Ah yes, my durability. Personally, with my family, you have to be made of steel or be crushed. I'm made out of steel, so are my cousins, my aunts, my uncles, so was my grandfather, his father, the father before him, and so forth. My father, he is just made out of cheap lead. Dark and toxic."
Last edited by Inferno on Fri Nov 12, 2010 4:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 4GFFG: Round One: Non Combat thread.

Rin did not like the sudden turn of events one bit. Though she couldn't claim to read lips, she could read bodies and faces quite proficiently, and the whispers in the corner quite plainly said that something was amiss. When Marcus returned and continued his reply she kept track of Reaper, noting the armed and armored sentinel now stood alert and ready to protect his master with good coverage of the area. The rather large personal firearm also made her a bit nervous, she was not accustomed to seeing such firepower being carried so openly.
Rin's tension was quite apparent when she replied, "Speaking of lead, I'm suddenly seeing a lot of it tucked away over there all of a sudden," She nodded over his shoulder towards Reaper before continuing with some bite, "Now, mind tell me what the hell might be going on. As a member of a family with.. less than above board dealings myself I won't pry, but should I be worried now? The only time I've ever seen that level of security before was when it was attached to a briefcase like the one you sent your cousin with." She took a swig direct from the bottle of sake attempting to recollect herself, "Or does this have to do with some delayed case of poisoning by 'cheap lead'?". She asked, knowing that even if some of the rumors involving the Caligulas family were only partially true over the years, there would more than a few who would wish them much ill will.
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Re: 4GFFG: Round One: Non Combat thread.

Felica slipped into the elevator behind Dante and his large friend, making sure to keep her distance from the latter. After Reaper rushed away suddenly, she simply shrugged slightly and said, "We're headed for the upper floors,". The lift doors quietly swished shut as she selected the level, and the elevator began it's quick ascent. "The company made some kind of deal with the Neo Luxembourgian government, I think," she said, making small talk as the digital number over the door ticked higher, "They're treating the company's office here as an ad hoc embassy. But they don't tell me much,".

She sighed quietly, resting a hand on the top of her quite pregnant stomach as they waited the 15 seconds or so it took to arrive - Floor 5S, near the top of the floating complex. The system dinged as a soothing recording of a female voice said, "Floor FIVE S", and the doors swished open again.

Temporary office indeed. From Dante's point of view, it would have looked like the entire floor (visible from the elevator bank, anyway) was taken up by Neo Germany, or, more prominently, Volkswagen. There was a set of double doors directly across from their elevator with a flag stand to either side and a soldier to go with each flag. The soldier standing next to the Neo German flag straightened up as Felica stepped out of the elevator, and his counterpart next to the Volkwagen patterned banner scanned the pair intently.

"Frau De Luca," a third man said, sounding a bit surprised to see her as he approached from further down the hallway. His uniform was dressier than the two soldiers', and the dark blue beret he wore bore not only a Bundeswehr marking... but also Volkswagen logo. "Hauptmann Piëch," she nodded as she removed her sunglasses, "Ich brachte einen Freund."

"Das ist eine Überraschung… Wo ist Dieter? Du bist auf Urlaub. Ja?" he asked, not even looking past her at Dante. The door guard, however, were still keeping their eye on him. Felica sighed and crossed her arms. "Ich muss Herrn Stormare sehen. Das ist wichtig," she said, motioning for Dante to step past them towards the doors. One of the soldiers moved forward and slung the SMG he carried, producing what looked like some kind of metal detector wand. "Einen Moment, Herr," he said brusquely, holding out a hand to keep Dante from going any further.

Capt. Piëch finally finished staring down Felica and deemed Dante worthy of his gaze, turning to the Neo Italian... diplomat. "Ja," Piëch nodded to one of his men after a moment, "Schnell,". The soldier proceeded to wand Dante quickly, the device beeping loudly as it passed over his midsection. The guard finished the sweep and grunted, "Kein Sprengstoff, Hauptmann," as he stepped back. Piëch, who seemed a bit disappointed, stepped out of Felica's way and personally pulled open one of the doors. "Ja, gut[/i]... uh, bene," he said, trying out a bit of tacked-on Italian even though he still didn't seem very pleased by the whole sequence of events.

"This way," Felica said, gesturing through the doors.
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Inferno
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Re: 4GFFG: Round One: Non Combat thread.

Marcus was glad he let his hair down after the fight, otherwise Rin would see the vein on his forehead throbbing heavily. It was a family thing: When a Caligulas man was stressed, the vein in his forehead could be seen from space. "It's no secret that my family has enemies. I don't think I've ever had a serious adversary, but I suppose that I am the quickest way to my father." He leaned back, chuckling. "When he dies, hell itself will burst into civil war over who gets to punish him first."

Being a bit more serious, he looked Rin in the eyes. "We have nothing to worry about. This bar is a public location, watched over by a 2.5 meter tall overzealous death machine, and frequented by the best fighters in the earthsphere. Who would be dumb enough to try anything here?" Then, off the top of his head, Marcus decided to ask a very awkward question. "Have you ever killed anyone?"

----

Dante tried his best to hide his unease at all the armed solider surrounding him. Sure, he could be a wise-arse when Reaper was around, but when all you have is a fake grenade and a rusty pocketknife, you can't expect to be too snarky. The fact that he once again mistook a pregnant woman for a fat one had him very quiet and shy out of pure embarrassment. The German was also a bit creepy: All he knew in German came from old Rammstien CDs, and even then he only knew a few phrases. Taking a deep breath, recomposing himself and preparing his speech, he stepped into the doorway. You have an entire army depending on you. This could make your career. Remember: if Marcus is the Emperor, you will never need to work again in your lifetime.
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Re: 4GFFG: Round One: Non Combat thread.

Marcus' impertinent question nearly caused Rin to choke on the swig she was taking.
"Nani!?" she slipped into her native tongue for a moment in shock after coughing, "Er.. No," she gave him a funny look, "Where did that question come from?" she asked.
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Re: 4GFFG: Round One: Non Combat thread.

Marcus grimaced at Rin's reaction. "Figured as much. If you're telling the truth, which I think you are, then I advise that you have a plan to get out of here quickly if things get ugly."

He got close to Rin, and his voice became very serious. "I used to think that I was exempt from my father's business affairs, until I found myself killing a would-be kidnapper on prom night with my bare hands. It was my first time, and it hasn't gotten any easier since, no matter how many times I find myself faced down by someone who thinks I'm an easy target. Sad part is, most of the time I don't even try to do it. Usually I'm pretty sympathetic with the would-be killers- they're usually victims desperate for revenge. But it seems my family has hurt someone really bad, worse than usual. They could be really desperate, and might not use common sense. So please, if someone shows up after my head, don't try to fight, just get out. I have a good clue who's after me, and I should be able to take them on my own."

He leaned back and took a very large sip of wine. "But that's the worst case scenario. So in the meantime, let's try to keep a healthy state of mind." After an awkward pause, Marcus immediately tried to shift the topic. "Did you happen to see where my cousin went off to?"
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Re: 4GFFG: Round One: Non Combat thread.

"Watashi no kami," she whispered to herself while listening to him. He didn't seem to be kidding. "Healthy state of mind," she repeated, giving an overly high, sharp, tense laugh to Marcus's face. "You know," she began and locked eyes, her voice low now with a dangerous edge, "I've got a similar story. See, back in high school, I once beat a man within an inch of his life who thought he was going to have his way with me; But, I didn't kill him. I sure as hell thought about it as I stood there trying to catch my breath in the rain, but I didn't. I let the Police handle him." She stood up and grabbed her sake bottle. "There is always the choice to let live, it may be the harder path, but I thought you were a better man who might rise to challenge of the high road." With that she stormed out of the bar, her staunch sense of justice feeling slightly tread upon.
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Re: 4GFFG: Round One: Non Combat thread.

Well. So much for them recognizing my empire. God, I suck at this diplomacy thing. Marcus chugged the wine straight from his glass. "I should have picked something heavier." Reaper looked on at his master's discomfort.

"You know, sir, everything she said about you is right."

Marcus, holding his head in his hands, suddenly turned to look at Reaper. He had never heard his body guard say anything like that before. "What?"

"Everything she said. You are a very firm, stable pillar that sticks to principle. Quite a rarity in this family. Your father would do anything for more power and your cousin would agree to anything in order for people to like him. You've always chosen to stand up for what you believe in and never back down."

Marcus groaned, thinking it was just an empty reassurance.

"But her latter point is also true. You have another trait to common in your family: You lack self-control. Once you start something, you can't stop. Sometimes this can be good, like how you ripped the knife out of your back today. But I'm sure you remember the incident in Neo Columbia?"

Marcus groaned even louder and banged his head agianst the table once more. It had been a kidnapping attempt by a shortchanged drug cartel leader. Marcus had gotten separated from Reaper, and was confronted by a single gunman. By the time he could pull himself out of the adrenaline rush, Marcus had discovered he had beaten the man to death. He didn't mean to do anything more than incapacitate him, he just couldn't control himself once the fight started. "So what should I do about it?"

Reaper shrugged. "I have no clue. I don't need restraint or discipline." Marcus gave him an "are you sugaring me" glare, causing him to add "at least, not in combat situations."

"Whatever," Marcus grunted. "I need sleep for tomorrow. I'm going to bed. By the way, who did you guys meet?"

"A representative from Volkswagen, sir."

"Yeah, Dante should be fine. Besides, I don't think you showing up as head of security will help negotiations. Let's go." And with that, the two left the bar and began the long, foot-dragging journey back to bed.
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Re: 4GFFG: Round One: Non Combat thread.

Felica led Dante down an immaculate, white hallway towards another set of doors. The bright lights mounted in the ceiling caused a glare on the spotless floor, and her high heels clicked quietly during their silent walk. Before they reached the door, she slowed down and turned to Dante to explain, "I've gotten you an impromptu meeting with Mr. Stormare, one of the most powerful men in the company. He may seem cold and shrewd, but if you catch his interest he can be your best friend in the world when it comes to financing or manufacturing,".

She stopped at the doors and a secretary/guard opened one of them from the inside to allow them to pass into Stormare's office. It was just as white and perfect as the hallway. His suit had a slight cream color, but it too was bright and sterile. "Miss De Luca," he spoke first, rising from his large chair, "This is a surprise,". Felica returned his nod and provided her hand, which he took and patted lightly. "Do you require anything else, sir?" the secretary asked, still at attention next to the door. "No, that will be all," he nodded, and she clicked her heels together and swiftly left the room.

"So, I hear you have some sort of business proposal for me," Stormare said to Dante, avoiding some of the useless small talk these kind of proceedings sometimes carried with them. "I'm Hans Stormare, Volkwagen's Chairman of the Board of Management."
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Re: 4GFFG: Round One: Non Combat thread.

Dante went very tense at the idea of Mr. Stormare, until he remembered all the publishers and producers he occasionally had to deal with. Except, instead of selling a story, he was buying an army. But was it that different to him? It was less of buying an army and more of selling a future.

Dante stuck out his hand for the traditional handshake. "My name is Dante Caligulas. I represent the Caligulas Trade Conglomerate." The conglomerate was a very successful business combination. It controlled a variety of import sales, shipping lines, and space ports, and had a good stake in most Earthsphere trade. It was the family's least profitable buisness, even if it was the only legitimate one.

"I have a very delicate proposition, one that deals with sensitive information. Before we continue, can I get your word that what I say will not leave this office?"
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Re: 4GFFG: Round One: Non Combat thread.

-Neo Russian Support Vessel-

~{Sir, the meeting between Neo Germany and Neo Italy seems to have begun. Spies reporting that the group has retreated from the main drinking hall and confirmed their arrival at their embassy facility .}~

Capt. Gulskii watched the monitors that created a sort of semi circle around the CIC in the depths of the ship. Several operators were working from monitors in a line, 20 units back to back creating a stream of consoles ten long with countless soliders and officers leaning in and cross checking data from other sources. It was a mobile spy nexus inside the ship..

On the screens could be seen, though vents and visual vocal representation, the contents being discussed inside the room.

~{Inform the NKGB of the progress, and begin packaging the data for transmission to Neo Moscow..}~
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Re: 4GFFG: Round One: Non Combat thread.

-gravitydome male restroom-

whistling to himself, milo slowly and methodically washed his hands, on his way over he caught a glimpse of the neo italian press guy heading the same direction as him, and he figured that this was good place to intercept the guy

that said, he was surprised to see that there was a display screen in the topmost corner of the restroom to show the progress of the fight, but not much was happening do he didn't pay it much heed
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