Showcase Match: Duel In The Shadows [R, NDE] (COMPLETE)

[Amagai Kuchiki]

Thread Title: Showcase Match: Duel In The Shadows [R, NDE]
Participants: Marcus Col, Zackary Jensen
World: Soul Society
Death Setting: Non Death Enabled
Rating: R
Location: Downtown Tokyo, in a lovely little shopping district. Of course, it's midnight, so there isn't anyone in the streets. There are plenty of buildings, alleyways, and laundry on clothing lines in back alleys. Plenty of place to run, plenty of place to hide, and plenty of buildings to glide off of.
Special Conditions: First post is whoever does so first. Winner will receive a custom item. Zack is allowed to use stats/class as if his Canon thread had ended. (So we can get this battle started, but not make this fight unbalanced).
Circumstances: Marcus Cole, while on a mission for Uzaki Enterprises, found himself in Tokyo, in search of a certain piece of technology. What he doesn't know is that Zackary Jensen has been hired through an unnamed benefactor to acquire the same technology. Zack is well aware of Marcus' goals, and intends to eliminate this potential competition before it would keep him from completing his mission and getting paid.

[Marcus Cole]

If Kazura just happened to check where Marcus was via his GPS tracker, he would see his loyal subject in the top floor of a forty-five floor tall skyscraper. What he wouldn’t see exactly was that Marcus was in the bathroom stall. And what he definitely wouldn’t see was Marcus changing from his black and blue business suit into his combat attire. You see, Marcus had previously been dressed in a one-hundred percent silk black suit. He wore a cyan shirt with a midnight blue tie to match it. His shoes were well polished and matched his black leather belt. Marcus’s cufflinks were silver birds. An interior pocket of his jacket carried his precious silver pocket watch. To top everything off, Marcus wore a blue bird necklace that was tucked behind his shirt and pressed closely to his heart. The necklace and watch were items he never left him with.

Marcus had come to the skyscraper on business terms. Kazura had set up a meeting at 10:30 pm with a representative of Future Industry, a newly formed corporation that had somehow become on of Japan’s top technological companies in a matter of months. Most of their technology was meant for the spiritually unaware, but Kazura has heard rumors of a certain object with spiritual capabilities. Marcus didn’t ask what exactly the object was believed to be, for his only obligation was to carry out Kazura’s orders. The details didn’t matter, and he certainly wasn’t going to question his leader. Marcus was to infiltrate Future Industry’s headquarters, steal the object, and return to Kazura without anyone becoming aware of Marcus’s identity. It was a simple mission, and Future Industry didn’t appear to have any spiritually powerful employees. Marcus wasn’t expecting any trouble, though he made sure he was prepared as well.

Marcus was a very poor negotiator. In fact, he could barely manage to speak most of the time. Therefore, Kazura had Marcus act only as a messenger rather than a business representative. When the meeting began, Marcus handed the employee of Future Industry a contract that bound Future Industry to Uzaki Enterprise with absolutely no benefit. It was an extremely one-sided deal, and so the screams Marcus got before he was kicked out of the conference room were expected. And the whole time, he didn’t say a word. He just kept his head down and didn’t even meet any of the business men’s eyes. He definitely came off as a weak, unnoticeable person, and so they didn’t even realize that he slipped into the bathroom rather than go to the elevator and exit the building.

In the black suitcase Marcus carried was his battle suit. It was comprised of black carbon-fiber plates that absorbed some weaker-physical force. A normal human wouldn’t be able to damage Marcus while he’s in that suit. On the chest plate was a midnight blue streak that ran to his shoulders in a very wide V. Marcus also wore dark glasses to mask his sky-blue eyes, though despite the dark lenses, he could see perfectly clearly. They didn’t enhance nor hinder his vision at all. Marcus kept his pocket watch zipped into a pocket in his pants, and he still wore his necklace under his battle suit, where it wouldn’t be seen or lost.

Marcus was also well equipped with weapons. At his waist were two escrima sticks that were clipped so that they wouldn’t fall off. Marcus, however, had easy access to the weapons and would be able to quickly pull them out of their clips if the situation called for it. In addition, he had another pouch on his waist that carried fifteen metal, razor sharp kunai. They were ninja tools, but Marcus used them to give him some range. He wasn’t the most spiritually powerful fighter, and so he couldn’t pull out some powerful Energy Generate moves like other spiritually aware humans could. Marcus had to rely on his own physical strength, and kunai were the perfect instruments with giving him a way to attack distant opponents.

Marcus wasn’t planning on walking right out of the bathroom in his obviously suspicious attire, and so he took a more incognito approach that would allow him to bypass any guards on duty. Marcus opened up the air vent above his head and crawled into it. After safely closing the compartment, the Fullbringer took out a smartphone-like instrument from his pocket and held it in front of his face while lying in the cramped air vent. With the press of a button, the device sent out a signal that played a video of Marcus exiting the bathroom, taking the elevator, and leaving the building for all the security cameras. Kazura took care of the photoshop and visual editing to make the clip look absolutely real. And there were also precautions to ensure that the video clip would only begin and end after there was no movement on any surveillance cameras. Therefore, the clip wouldn’t cut off an image of someone walking in front of a camera.

The next thing Marcus did on the device was pull up a skeleton of the top floor’s air vents. He kept glancing at the map while gently crawling through the rectangular vent. Marcus ensured that no movements made too obvious noises so, incase he was moving over any meetings, no one would notice him. The vents took him took him directly infront a vault, where the Fullbringer encountered two guards. It was about 10:50 pm, and so all he had to do was wait ten minutes until the guards’ shift would end and they enabled the alarm system. Marcus didn’t have to wait long, and when that time came, he acted immediately.

Marcus estimated that it would take about one minute for the guards to set up the alarm system, and so he had to act immediately so that he could get through the vault. Marcus pressed another icon in the smart phone Kazura gave him which placed the security feed for the vault on a loop. That way, there would be no record of his actions and the security guard would look at a continuous image of an empty room. Marcus then used a mini screwdriver to unscrew the opening of the vent with superhuman speed, letting him slip out of the air duct in less than ten seconds. He then placed the phone up to the vault, opened an app, and the phone was able to decipher the electronic code for the vault, replicate it, and open the huge, thick metal door. Marcus was able to slip into the chamber and shut the door after him just before the alarm system was enabled.

Everything had gone smoothly so far. The guards were as oblivious as ever, the security feed was compromised, and Marcus’s presence was just as unknown as his identity. He had access to the large vault, which was about the size of a lecture hall. The room was mostly empty, except for a small black cube placed on a rectangular platform. It was smaller than a basketball, and Marcus assumed that the piece of technology Kazura assigned him to steal was inside it. All he needed to do was grab the box and get out. Kazura was going to be pleased.

SPOILER: Click to show

Strength - [300] (450) Points

Speed - [350] (700) Points

Spiritual Pressure - [350] (210) Points

Reiatsu Strength - [50] (25) Points

Light Aura - [60] Points

Dark Aura - [40] Points

Instinct - [100] (200) Points

Senses - [100] (75) Points

Energy sensory - [0] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points

Total SP: [1250] Points

Abilities

• [Martial Arts: Escrima] {3}
  
  
• [Weapons: Staff] {1}
  
  
• [Battle Analysis] {3}
  
  
• [Pain Tolerance] {3}
  
  
• [Special Skill: Movement] {1}
  
  
• [Stealth] {1}
  
  
• [Acrobatics] {3}
  
  

Items:

15 Kunai

Suit MK I

Escrima Sticks/Staff

[/spoiler]

[Deleted]

The night was quiet. The deserted section of downtown Karakura made for such a relaxing location at this time of night since most people would be hidden within their homes. The sounds of laundry flapping in the wind gave some sound to the otherwise mute environment, as well as the occasional car driving down the road. The time was 10:40, twenty till eleven, the hour in which people would be in bed save for the neets who would be awake all night playing video games or using internet forums. But amidst the darkness loomed a giant. The skyscraper that housed Future Industries, a new corporation focused on technological advancements, had seemingly appeared out of nowhere and had made a name for themselves in just a few short months. One didn't need to be a fortune teller to predict what was going to happen to them, as every corporation seemed to be swallowed up by the black hole monopoly that was Uzaki Enterprise.

Standing upon a motel a few streets away from the imposing structure was a dark attired gentlemen. Clad in a suit of all black and adorned with a dark gray mask, the human put down the briefcase he held in his right hand. Crouching down and opening it he began to get to work. The job was simple, painfully simple. Future Industries came off as nothing more than a corporation similar to Best Buy of all things, one that focused on improving and marketing everyday instruments like microwaves and computers. While Uzaki had more man power than that organization, they made up for it by being much more competent information gatherers. What Future Industries had within its walls was something so devastating that it even made a few of the Seven Guns pause in disbelief.

What Future Industries was manufacturing behind closed doors was something called the technonyte virus. Zack himself had very little understanding of it actually was, but from what Xcution had gathered was that despite its name it was not a true virus. Nanomachines would be more accurate. The technonyte virus was a colony of self replicating nano machines that would soon be introduced into the medical market as a miracle cure for cancer. Sure enough, the machines would be able to do that as well as other medical marvels. But before the informant had gone dark was that the true purpose behind introducing the virus to the worlds medical clinics was to enable Future Industries to literally take control over those infected. By having the nanomachines infest the hosts spinal column, Future Industries could subtly control those infected to improve their own profits. It sounded like a bad saturday morning villain plot, but it was something truly in the works.

Zacks job was to retrieve the technonyte virus and return it to Xcutions new headquarters so thaat the science team could reverse engineer the machines for their own purposes. Zack had no doubt Xcution was going to weaponize the things, but that was above his pay grade so he didn't care to ask questions. Still, as Zack had predicted, Uzaki coveted the technology for himself. Jensen was sure the prodigal youth didn't know what it truly was and, despite the apparent truce between Xcution and Uzaki Enterprise, couldn't let him get his hands on the manufactured virus.

Zack was quiet as he attached the barrel to the now completed sniper rifle, reaching into the briefcase and pulling out a cartridge of three bullets and inserting them. Extending the bipod to absorb the kick and stabilize his aiming, Zack resting the gun atop a air conditioning. He rested the butt end against his shoulder and took a breath. Dark gray eyes looked up at the skyscrapper before him. Zack had studied the buildings schematics, he knew where he needed to aim. He wasn't going to be aiming for any of the buildings employees, rather at a certain individual he had watched enter the building earlier. Looking into the scope he released the safety and pulled back on the guns hammer. "Anabeth, are you in?" He asked into the mask. A voice came through into his right ear and responded with "Yes, I have access to the buildings security. Remember to thank Jellald after this is over." Zack didn't respond for a few moments, watching through his scope and letting his instincts take over. They would tell him when.

"Light it up." Zack ordered. Chaos suddenly erupted within Future Industries. The alarms came screaming to life and alerting everyone, especially the guards, that something was wrong. Anabeth and Jellald, through making their way through Future Industries network, set off the intruder alarm. But that was not all that they did. The two also forced nearly all of the storm shutters to descend down the windows making escape through those windows impossible. But not all of them. There was a particular set of windows, on the same level as that vault, that remained open. Amongst the sudden screaming of alarms, the fact that the safe door was now being opened due to the guards needing to check inside, Marcus would experience panic. Like an animal that was corned he would make for the quickest method of escape. There would be no vents in that vault, otherwise he would have used them to get in. If Marcus could fight his way through the oncoming security, with the technonyte virus in hand, he would see a window directly ahead of him.

That single window would be his escape. The animalistic instincts inside him would force him to that window, as the adrenaline gave him the fight or flight response. Once Marcus escaped through that window he would be hit by something. He would feel something collide with the right side of his waist for a second before the pressure was gone and replaced with excruciating pain. If Marcus looked down he would see a gaping hole where the right side of his waist used to be. Blood would have splattered all over the interior of the building. He would feel dizzy, needing to focus as hard as he could to not pass out from what he saw. Most people wouldn't be able to handle seeing themselves so mutilated.

Zack stared through the scope, eyes narrowed as his fingers tightened around the trigger. He watched plan came together. The plan was to cause Uzaki Enterprises agent to panic and funnel him to a location of Zacks choosing. That location was the single window that Zack was aiming directly for. There was a reason he was known as Xcutions Sniper. Out of all of the assassins that made up Xcution, he was the one most prominently known for his use in firearms. Nobody in Xcution could use them like he could. His eyes narrowed as he saw movement through his scope. Once that glass broke and Zack saw his target he pulled the trigger. The benefits of using a suppressor. Marcus would have no idea where that shot had come from, due to the fact the distance would displace whatever sound there was. Secondly was the fact that Zack was relatively hidden amongst the rooftop laundry and being behind that air conditioning unit. Plus, his natural stealth and suppressed reiatsu helped as well. He would see what Marcus's reaction would be before moving in once again.

Reiatsu: 1500 / 1500

Stamina: 0 / 6

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats and Skills}

Stats

▸Strength - [200] = [100] Points

▸Speed - [300] = [600] Points

▸Spiritual Pressure - [250] = [150] Points

▸Reiatsu Strength - [300] = [450] Points

▸Light Aura - [30] Points

▸Dark Aura - [70] Points

▸Instinct - [150] = [225] Points

▸Senses - [200] = [150] Points

▸Energy sensory - [0] Points

▸Healing Expertise - [0] Points

Total SP: [1400] Points

Skills

• [Stealth] {2}
  
  
• [Weapons: Knives] {2}
  
  
• [Battle Analysis] {2}
  
  
• [Movement] {2}
  
  
• [Focused Eye] {2}
  
  
• [Acting] {2}
  
  
• [Martial Arts: Systema] {2}
  
  
• [Calm Mind] {2}
  
  Total SKP: 16
  

Items
x1 UE1 Sniper Rifle
x2 UE2 Handguns
x30 Poison Bullets
x30 Sekki Sekki Bullets
x1 Wire
x1 Power Ring
x1 Convert - A - Weapon
x1 Holy Light
x5 Kunai
x1 Stealth Cloak

[Marcus Cole]

As soon as the alarm went off, Marcus jumped into action. He grabbed the little black box in front of him by its small handle and spun back around, bolting out the vault’s entrance. Marcus knew that he had done nothing to set off the siren, so there had to be another factor. Kazura spent hours ensuring that he combatted all forms of security in the alarms system, and his technology never failed. Marcus’s spidey sense was tingling, and he was tempted to find out what caused the whole situation to smell so fishy. However, he had more important tasks at hand. Primarily, Marcus had to ensure that he got out of the building as fast as possible without anyone seeing him.

When Marcus emerged from the vault, he literally came across a fork in the road. On his right, he would hear the loud, pounding footsteps of security officers sprinting to protect the valuable item that they were assigned to. However, their sprint was a mere slow jog for Marcus, so the term was relative. He did only have a second before they came around the corner and saw him standing there with the black box from the vault. However, a second was more than enough time. Marcus found that on the other path, almost an entire of windows was barred by the alarm. All but one. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that he was offered an escape route, and he sure as hell was going to take it.

Under most circumstances, Marcus would have dismissed the open window as a malfunction but the situation seemed too questionable. First, a random alarm goes off. Now, all but one window was blocked off. It was possible that Kazura was somehow controlling the scenes from the Uzaki Enterprise headquarters, but if that was the case, then Marcus surely would have heard Kazura’s voice in his earpiece. No, he was alone on this mission, and there was a chance that the other variable in the equation wasn’t friendly.

Marcus wasn’t going to risk jumping out of the window like an idiot, and there was a high chance that the security guards would see him just before he leapt off the building. Therefore, he had to move quickly, far more quickly than he could by merely sprinting. Marcus activated the human stepping technique Movement, tripling his speed. He burst through the window, shattering it into thousands of shards of glass, at a speed of 2100. If Zack tried shooting that fast of a moving target, he would definitely miss. And, when the security officers made it around that corner, they would be greeted with an open vault, chilly breeze, and shattered window. They would find no perpetrator, and the security camera feed would show them nothing.

Marcus ended his stepping technique a fifty feet over the motel across the street. The first thing he did was look down to ensure that there was no one in the nearby alley between a small motel and convenience store. Zack was shrouded by the rows of clothes lines, making it difficult for Marcus to make out any figure on the roof. The Fullbringer thought the area was secure, but he was still ready to spring. The danger wasn't gone quite yet. He quickly lowered himself down to the nearby alley by releasing his airground, allowing him to fall the rest of the way to the ground. He used air ground once again to cushion his fall just a foot above the ground so that he could land silently and sprint away. However, there was a more than probably chance that Zack would target at the descending Uzaki Enterprise agent.

Reiatsu Remaining: 2075/2100 (-25 for Movement)

[Deleted]

Well now, it seems this individual wasn't as idiotic as some people Zack has met. While he had taken the bait Zack left for him, Marcus had decided to play his own card to trick the assassin up. Sadly, this little fish wasn't going to get the better of the experienced angler. Zack could recognize a Step Technique by now, having used them multiple times himself, and using one clued the assassin in as to what he was dealing with. Another Fullbringer. This should get a little interesting. Having seen the speed that his target put out as he shattered and fled through the window, the assassin held off on pulling the trigger. At that speeds Marcus was going to have be making a direct bee line towards a bullet to be hit.

With Zacks skill in hiding, his analytical prowess, and the cover he had, he was able to get a good view on Marcus as the man exited his step technique above the motel. Zack estimated he was about fifty feet above him. While he could make the shot Zack didn't quite want to give away his position just yet. Storm gray eyes watched between rows of bedsheets, studying his target and trying to pick up anything on him. A slight twist of the dull colored ring on his hand gave Zack quite a bit of information on his quarry.

The Power Ring was an illegal item purchased, by Zack, from the black market. For some reason, some people in the world believed the item to be illegal and worth throwing Zack in prison over. Xcution actually did not care one way or another if Zack used illegal items, as the organization itself was on the furtherest side from the law. What this magical item did was compute that persons strengths into a sort of mental numerical report. It told Zack what the exact numerical value of Marcus's Strength, Reiatsu Strength, the speed of his thoughts and even the level of his five senses. Magic was the only plausible explanation to this wonderful items ability, an ability that had seen much use from the assassin.

Analyzing Marcus's stats, Zack came to a few conclusions. Marcus was faster than him, though not by much. The difference in their speed wasn't much, but it wasn't something to be ignored either. Secondly, his physical strength was much greater than Zacks. That meant that the assassin couldn't afford to take a hit, especially if his target had such a higher level of strength.

Marcus began his descent downwards into the alley beside the motel Zack remained perched upon. Once Marcus vanished from Zacks sight he moved. Dashing across the rooftop he activated his suit, the Stealth Cloak, and with a small cost of reiatsu Zack became completely invisible. The Suit had one weakness, but it was something Marcus could not exploit due to his lack of any Energy Sensing abilities. Running along the edge of the roof, Zack was able to keep up with Marcus.

The Uzaki Employee had put himself into a rather precarious situation. He was running down what was essentially a one way lane. There were no other alleys he could enter to escape until he reached the end. Something Zack had no intention to allow happen. Zack had all the advantages right now. He had the element of surprise, the higher ground, and decent knowledge of the area. Marcus wasn't going to be able to get away.

Gripping the sniper rifle he jumped into the empty space between the store and the hotel. Within the time frame of less than a moment he had his gun raised, aimed directly at his opponents right leg. When he reached the center of the space between the two buildings he pulled the trigger. The silencer muffled the sound of the gunshot as it sped towards Marcus's leg. If the human was hit by this he wouldn't be able to run anymore. Actually, he would barely even be able to move. The bullet would outright destroy his thigh, or knee, or lower leg.

Landing on the other roof Zack continued running forward. If Marcus did get hit then he would be down, unable to move at all. If he didn't get hit, he would be alert now. His first instinct would be to look, try to get visual confirmation of the shooter before trying to escape. Zack knew Marcus could think fast, but his five senses were lacking. He would need a second longer to look, a second that Zack was using to his own advantage. Marcus wouldn't be able to find him. Zack was literally an undetectable phantom right now. His opponent lacked the stats needed to find him. If Marcus had been hit he would be down, unable to run anymore. If he hadn't, Marcus would know there was an enemy. But he would be frightened, anxious, unsure of where the enemy was. Marcus was being hunted, and the hunter already had his gun pointed on him.

Remaining Reiatsu: 1400 / 1500
-100 for Stealth Cloak ( 1 / 5 )

Stamina: 1 / 6

[Marcus Cole]

Marcus knew in his gut that something was wrong. He was in enemy territory, being in Tokyo rather than Karakura, a city he knew like the back of his hand. Marcus’s single goal was to get the hell out of there and do it quickly. The mission was almost over, all Marcus had to do was get the black box back to Kazura and he’d be rewarded with praise and a small check that the human really didn’t care for. His only motive was to serve Kazura. Kazura was love, Kazura was life. That’s how bad Marcus’s obsession over the billionaire inventor was, but that’s only the least significant of his many psychological problems. He suffers from a severe social anxiety, his self-esteem resides at the bottom of an endless pit, and the twenty-year-old has some extreme abandonment problems. He’s a fixer-upper, but he’s also a capable warrior and assassin.

But what he wasn’t capable of was detecting the nearby Xcution member that stalked him in the night. Marcus’s radar was up, but his sensory capabilities were low, far too low to detect the invisible sniper trailing silently on the rooftops. Without any energy sensory, Marcus was completely oblivious to any spiritually powerful enemies he might come across. He wouldn’t see the bullet coming, but he sure as hell would feel it break his right shin into fragments and splinters of bone. And it hurt, A LOT. Marcus was sure that he wouldn’t be able to put any weight on his right leg, thanks to the wound he suffered.

Despite the pain and injury, however, Marcus wouldn’t be fazed. His guard had been up, and something insignificant like pain wasn’t nearly enough to stop him. He would definitely feel the hurt, but it wouldn’t get in his way. The destroyed shin would be a big hurdle, but Marcus could jump pretty high. And if that didn’t work, flight was always an option. Marcus was able to think clearly due to his high pain tolerance, so it wasn’t difficult to deduce where the bullet came from. Based just on how it broke his shin, he knew that it had to come from either directly behind him or in front, and up ahead was a dead end, which narrowed down the possible sources of the bullet. His enemy was to his back.

Marcus couldn’t run. In fact, the bullet had forced him to fall as he was unable to make another step with his useless leg. Therefore, he had to act quickly. The Night of Uzaki Enterprise was going to activate his ‘power’ for the first time in years. Marcus didn’t bring out his Fullbring unless the situation really called for it, and all his battle before this one only required his physical strength and insane speed for him to take the victory. Most foes couldn’t take just one of Marcus’s punches, and the sniper that was after him was most likely one of those people. However, he had the human on the ropes and the Uzaki Enterprise officer needed to draw an ace. Marcus was in a fight-or-flight situation, and he was going to soar. It was time to bring out his fullbring.

Reiatsu surged within him as Marcus’s pocket watch began to fall apart. Gears would shoot out of his pocket one-by-one at a lightning speed to construct steel wings attached at his spine. All he needed to do was push off with his uninjured leg and the human launched himself into the air. His metallic wings extended six feet in each direction, and created small gusts of air with each beat that carried Marcus higher into the air. However, the man underneath the wings and the wings themselves would become shrouded by a black fog constantly emitted from the wings at a rapid rate. Marcus looked like a Death Eater from Harry Potter flying through the sky.

The Fullbringer only rose about ten feet into the air before he made a quick spin and sped to the gap between buildings were Zack had fired the bullet. He knew no sniper was there, however. In fact, Marcus wasn’t even sure if the sniper was on the ground or roof yet. What he did know was that the enemy was nearby and he had to figure out who it was. The dark fog he released always trailed behind him, and rather than disappear, it would multiply and expand like a growing cloud. Soon, the entire ally behind him would be swallowed by a wave of black fog, and it would continue to flow down the rest of the path. The fog also spread up into the air and to the sides. In less than a minute, it would cover the nearby rooftops.

Marcus’s current goal was to spread the mist as much as possible. He flew right past the position from which Zack sniped to the end of the main street and then made a quick circle around the square block. The entire trip would take less than fifteen seconds. Marcus was fairly sure that Zack was somewhere in that perimeter, but considering that he was hit by a bullet only large enough for a sniper, his foe could be anywhere. Therefore, the fog would have a secondary purpose. It would provide Marcus with cover. Soon, the fog would completely engulf the block and continue to spread out further. And that was only the beginning of the potential fight. Marcus was barely fatigued, since the wings were far less taxing on his stamina. The only reason his breath was heavy was because of the adrenaline pumping through his veins and the bullet that tore through his right shin.

After completing the circle around the block, Marcus would zip back to the center of the ally that was directly underneath the gap of air that Zack shot Marcus from. The fog oozing from his wings would prevent Zack from seeing Marcus, and just to make sure he doesn’t take another bullet, Marcus would cocoon himself in his wings, wrapping the metal plats around himself in a spiral pattern with the human in the center. The right wing would spiral upward and even fold over his head while the left wing would coil around his lower body, protecting him completely from another bullet. Marcus’s typically offensive wings were going to shield him as he waited for his fog to spread. He stood patiently on one leg, due to the injury he suffered, like a crane.

Reiatsu Remaining: 1875/2100 (-200 reiatus for Fullbring)

Combat Posts: 1/6

Fullbring Posts: 1/7

[Deleted]

The hit was a success. While Zack would have preferred his bullet to hit his opponent at a earlier time, as to shorten this whole ordeal, he was quite content with the fact that he had just made running, even walking, a near impossible task for this Fullbringer. Being shot by that sniper rifle meant that Marcus's leg was beyond useless, in fact it was a liability at this point. The damage done to it would have left a massive gaping hole into his body, allowing blood to pour out without control. It didn't help that it was the leg, either, as gravity would be pulling his blood down to his legs already.

This mission was in its final acts already. Marcus didn't seem to have any way to heal the injury, meaning that he was now on a short time limit. How would he go out? Passing out due to the blood loss and shock or taking another attack from Zack? Regardless, he was bleeding out and fast. Zack had seen this before, he had killed many a target by simply letting them bleed out.

The effects of losing all that blood would be hitting Marcus very soon. Dizziness, confusion, feeling very weak. His skin would begin to grow pale, he would begin to have trouble breathing. His hemorrhaging would no doubt be what did him in during this fight. Perhaps it would have been best if Marcus had just not taken this job.

Zack was still hidden behind the Stealth Cloak as he watched Marcus. The human bent down and raised the sniper rifle, planning to end this now. But he stopped when he noticed something peculiar going on with his target. Pieces of machinery seemed to fly out from his clothing and attach themselves along the mans spine. The machines formed two wings, each had the look of being made of steel. Zack wondered if those wings meant Marcus could fly now.

While it was a sill question, sometimes they didn't fly. It made Zack recall an incident a few months ago in Gambia, West Africa. Ever since the Hells Gate incident, Zack had been taken it upon himself to respond to any threats involving entities from Hell. One such entity, identified as a Saika, had taken up residence in a small town located in Gambia.

Zack had gone in with two others, three Swords against one Saika. The entity had powers similar to Fullbringers, as surveillance had recorded it using something akin to Soul Command. Regardless, Zack remembered the battle he and his team had in the town square. The Saikas release had it sprout two hand shaped appendages from its back, similar to wings, yet they were not used for flying. Rather they were used for defense as well as releasing its own power.

Combination of small arms fire, hand to hand combat, two Fullbring Level One releases and a stick of C4 was what it took to bring the sinner down. Oh, and Zack landing a carefully aimed sniper round into its chest. Even though they had taken down the Saika, the three man team left with only two members left. The Saika didn't know a thing about Discord, so Zack had put him down.

Coming back to the current situation, Zack watched as Marcus took off into the sky being tailed by a black smog. Narrowing his eyes beneath the mask, Zack began to analyze the situation. With the use of a flying Fullbring, Marcus had not only regained his mobility but also had a new form of movement available to him. Not only that, though, Zack was concerned about the black smoke that followed behind the Fullbringer as he flew.

The smoke didn't dissipate, rather it seemed to remain in one place and grow. An expanding smoke based ability? Something similar to Katekarins release? Was the smoke poisonous? Corrosive? Explosive? There was a multitude of properties the cloud could possess. Zack was not going to risk being exposed to it though.

Marcus began to move. He was flying in Zacks direction, but gave no indication that he knew where Zack was. The assassin backed away, heading closer to the center of the roof he was and hiding behind the doorway that led to the stairs that entered the building. Deactivating his stealth cloak, he didn't need to worry about Marcus finding him right now, he was hidden behind the doorway and out of the fullbringers view.

Zack watched as Marcus flew around the alley, spreading that smoke. The way Marcus was acting was a clear indication that he didn't know where Zack was. So, you're spreading that smog because you can't find me. Good use of his abilities. Zack narrowed his eyes as he watched the smoke slowly begin to creep up along the walls. The fact it was growing meant his rooftop hiding spot wasn't going to be safe for long.

Zack needed to figure out the secret behind this power if he wanted to finish Marcus. Or, he could wait. That moving around couldn't have been good for that leg injury. Any minute now Marcus would be feeling the effects of the blood loss. It wasn't going to be a long waiting game. But, for the future it wouldn't be a horrible idea to figure out how this Fullbring worked. With a quick shake of his wrist a black steeled and thing dagger fell from Zacks sleeve.

Catching it before it fell, the assassin quickly tossed the kunai into the air over the alley. Gravity took control of the kunai, causing it to plummet straight down into the blackened smoke. Zack lost sight of it quickly, but could now confirm that the smoke wasn't explosive. Now, how was he going to test if the smoke was poisonous before it reached him on the roof?

Remaining Reiatsu: 1400 / 1500

Stamina: 1 / 6
+1 Rest Post

[Marcus Cole]

(( OOC: Short post. ))

Marcus felt a warm liquid pour down his injured leg, and he knew that he could use some medical attention. The pain wasn’t going to be a problem, but it would only be a matter of time before the blood-loss got to him. Marcus needed to get back to Karakura as soon as possible, and the best way to do so would be to fly. However, the Fullbringer wasn’t about to let his would-be assassin get away. His enemy was still an enigma to that point, and Marcus had yet to pinpoint his location, but he knew that would only be a matter of time as well. Little did Marcus know that soon, the fog would almost be upon Zack.

The Fullbringer had nothing to cover his legs with to cover the wound so the best move he could make was keeping calm and lowering his blood pressure. That way, he would slow the rate at which he lost blood and help himself clot the wound. However, the idea that his body could stop the bleeding on its own was impossible. He needed bandages and a caste. Marcus knew that he would be out for a long time after suffering such an injury. Kazura wouldn’t be pleased.

Marcus suddenly felt a kunai fall into his fog from above. It seemed that his opponent hadn’t given up on pursuing him quite yet. The direction from which the blade fell led Marcus to believe that his opponent was moving and not staying in one static location, which made it all the more difficult to figure out where he was. However, Marcus did have one advantage. As long as his enemy was experimenting with the fog, it wouldn’t be long until he eventually touched it.

Fullbringer Posts: 2/7

Combat Posts: 1/6

Rest Posts: 1/3

[Deleted]

It wouldn't be long now. Not at all. Marcus, who had no tolerance to losing blood, was going to be hit with the hard effects of such a wound. Zack had a feeling that at this point the Fullbringer was experiencing the first effects of it, the dizziness. Humans could only lose between ten and fifteen percent of their total blood before it became fatal. Marcus's injury was one that ruined the lives of many soldiers. It was unfortunate that this man was going to suffer that same fate without fighting in some war, but instead from simply working for Kazura Uzaki.

Regardless, it was a job. Zack felt no remorse. He needed to retrieve the nanomachines. In Kazuras hands there was no telling what the prodigal man would do with them. Xcution would, hopefully, make better use of the technology. But right now Zack needed to finish his retrieval. And he needed to do it soon.

Ejecting the cartridge that only had one bullet left in it, the assassin reloaded his rifle with a fresh round of bullets. Though, these ones were drastically different from the standard rounds he was using earlier. These bullets were filled with a deadly poison, toxic enough to snuff out a mans life in minutes. The Fullbringer was only preparing for, if it did come down to fighting.

The handguns he had hidden underneath his suit were also loaded with the same poisoned bullets. They were only a precaution though, as Zack was certain that the injury that Marcus was suffering from was sufficient enough. However the assassin didn't survive as long as he did by not being careful. What if Marcus had some sort of healing ability that he used when Jensens guard was down?

Though, right now Zack needed to pay attention to the approaching fog. Stepping back away from the entrance to the stairwell he began to back away from the every growing miasma. What sort of effect did it hold? Behind the white mask he narrowed his eyes, still not wanting to not take some sort of chance.

Rather, perhaps there was a way he could end this now without anymore effort. Using Airground he casually rose a few feet over the rooftop. Doing so meant the fog would pass harmlessly under him for now. The mask did have one other function. Pressing a button along the right cheekbone underside of the mask, the voice distortion software activated. "Just drop the package you recovered and you can go." the sudden, distorted, voice was sure to catch Marcus off guard.

"You're injured to an extent that you can't continue. If left untreated, you will die in under two minutes. I want the cube, not you're life." Zacks skills in Acting helped him to throw his voice slightly, making it difficult to isolate his voice to one part of the roof. What would Marcus do? Would he surrender and live, or resist and die? "Deactivate your Fullbring and slide the item as far behind you as you can."

Stamina: 1 / 6
+2 Rest Post

Remaining Reiatsu: 1400 / 1500

[Marcus Cole]

Marcus was waiting and waiting, but Zack was as patient as he was. The assassin was pitted against a suitable match up. However, only one had a countdown, and blood was seeping down Marcus’s leg at a worrisome rate. He wasn’t going to last much longer if things continued, and it was then that he felt his head lighten. In minutes, he’d have a hard time thinking straight, much less putting up a good fight. Marcus needed a chance and he needed it soon.

And Zack gave him the opportunity. All Marcus needed was Zack’s approximate location, for he knew that the man was in the open when he heard his voice. Marcus didn’t even consider listening to Zack, for his words meant nothing to the Fullbringer. They went in one ear and out the other, but Marcus knew that there was some value in them. After all, Zack was speaking and that was the best distraction Marcus could have asked for.

Because he already felt his fog pass over the roof under Zack, he knew that the man was using air ground, and that he could no longer hide in the shadows of the rooftop. This was the perfect scenario for Marcus to finally take action, and his actions would take less than 10 seconds for him to complete. Because the fog blocked energy sensory, Zack wouldn’t feel Marcus’s energy spike as he charged reiatsu into the three kunai he held in his right hand while his left was occupied with carrying the box Kazura had requested.

Marcus moved slightly. His wings expanded, but remained concealed by the black fog that shrouded him. Marcus first moved to the side twenty meters, letting his wings carry him so he doesn’t fatigue as quickly. Marcus dropped one of the kunai in the location he designated and immediately turned one-hundred and eighty degrees. He passed the area that he had previously been standing in and kept going for another twenty meters, dropping another kunai when he had finished. In this time, Zack wouldn’t have even finished his first sentence.

However, Marcus didn’t stop from there. The path he created a few minutes ago when he spread his fog around the block was still present and it had expanded so that the fog covered the roof. All Marcus had to do was use his incredible speed to travel through the smog and get to the opposite side of the building underneath Zack. From there, he would peak only his eyes and nose out of the fog behind Zack to pinpoint his assassin’s position. In addition, Marcus moved completely silently and under the cover of the fog so Zack wouldn’t have even known that Marcus moved at all. The masses of black smog were so large and Marcus moved through the center of them, so Zack wouldn’t notice any displacement of the mist either.

Finally, it was time for Marcus to act. He had silence and surprise as his friends, for while Zack spoke, he faced the position that Marcus had previously stood in. That way, Zack’s back was to Marcus and the Uzaki Enterprise officer would take that advantage. He would submerge himself under cover of the fog and do three things in rapid succession. First, he would use Output: Impact to strengthen himself significantly. It would be extremely taxing, but this was an all or nothing situation. From there, Marcus would then activate the technique that he placed in the kunai, Ninja Art: Tri-Shadow. Because Zack, without knowing it, would be standing in the triangle of kunai Marcus just made, he would be completely paralyzed for a couple of seconds, and that was more time than Marcus needed.

The Fullbringer’s wings carried him at his maximum speed to Zack’s exposed back. The Xcution assassin would have barely realized that he was stunned before Marcus shattered the middle of his back with a ridiculously powerful punch at 1800 strength. Zack’s spine would snap in two and he’d lose the ability to use his legs at all. Zack wouldn’t even be able to turn and point a gun at Marcus after the punch connected. And at the end of his maneuver, Marcus would let his wings hold him in the air, his breath coming quickly. He needed to get back to Kazura immediately, but it was important to make sure that his pursuer had truly been taken care of.

Reaitsu Remaining: 1075/2100 (-600 for Ninja Art: Tri-Shadow, -200 for Impact)

Fullbringer Posts: 3/7

Combat Posts: 2/6

Rest Posts: 1/3

[Deleted]

Was the Uzaki employee going to take the easy way out? Or would he continue to fight, in vain, until the very end? So bothersome. Zack wasn't sent here to kill the man, simply to retrieve the item in question, but it seemed that no matter what that Marcus was intended to continue to fight. Well, so be it then. Zack awaited an answer, hoping to hear some sort of plea of surrender or seeing the black fog vanish, but he never got it. Rather though, he heard some rather peculiar things. It always helped that Zack had the hearing of a wild animal. What sort of wild animal well that was rather hard to point out but the fact remained Zack had animal like hearing. Therefore, Marcus's current movements did not go unnoticed.

While the black fog obscured Zacks vision, it did not hinder his ears. There were a few things Zack picked up on. Firstly, the sound of splattering blood. As Marcus moved down the alleyway the wound he received continued to leak his blood. Due the fact he was flying at a decent speed, the blood struck the pavement and made that telltale wet splashing sound. The second factor was the move that Marcus was planning to use. Shoving metal into concrete was going to make noise. It was going to make a noticeable noise. A noise loud enough Zack heard it both times that Marcus stuck the knives into the concrete.

Thirdly, Marcus wasn't able to be as sneaky as he thought he could be. Not only did he lack the amount of skill needed to hide from Zack, but there was also the fact he wasn't going to be able to move anywhere near as normal as he could. The injury he received had been left untreated, bleeding out for numerous minutes. By this point Marcus wasn't going to be able to fight with even fifty percent of his normal talents, let alone sneak around by flying.

These sounds cause enough suspicion in the Assassin to make him begin his own action, as Marcus was preparing for his own technique. The pendant hidden in his sleeve dropped free before glowing slightly, morphing into a wicked black knife. What was the man up to? Luckily for Marcus, Zack did not have any Energy Sensing capabilities anymore, but the other Fullbringer still made too much noise. Clumsily flying around and bleeding out, Marcus would be making mistakes in his movements. The assassin remained in the airground, holding Sting tightly in his hand as he began to ponder what the other Fullbringer was doing.

How would Zack go about this? How would he fight in this situation? Marcus was on his last leg and seemed to give no sign he was giving up. He knew he couldn't do a direct attack on Zack, given the Assassins ability to hide himself. So, what was the best option? The man quickly spun around as the realization dawned on him. If it had been Zack in this situation, and escape was impossible, he would have tried for one last attack from a blind spot. Which was what Marcus was doing exactly.

As Zack spun he felt something. It was like a sort of electrical tingle over his body. It was, in fact, Marcus's technique attempting to paralyze the rival Fullbringer. However, Marcus wasn't aware of the drastic difference between their Reiatsu. Zack have over eighteen times the others Reiatsu, meaning that the Tri-Shadow technique failed to capture Zack and only gave him a slight tingle. The fog suddenly seemed to part as the winged Fullbringer flew over the edge of the building and directly at Zack. Marcus was only slightly faster than Zack, who had animalistic senses and incredible mental processing ability. What Zack needed to do was obvious.

Marcus's fist collided with the white mask his opponent wore over his face. The incredible punching power behind his attack shattered it into thousands of pieces. His fist continued through the mask. No doubt, for a second or two, Marcus would feel joy and relief. His confused, blood deprived brain would feel relief. He had won. But then, on that fourth or fifth second he would realize something. Where was his opponent head? Where was his body? Marcus had struck the mask his opponent had worn, but where was the rest of him? Confusion. A higher level of confusion than what normally would have been would plague the silent Fullbringer.

His high blood loss would cause serious confusion, make it harder for him to think. All of a sudden a there was a loud noise. An incredibly loud noise. Then an explosion of chunks of Marcus's chest. Blood splattered outward infront of Marcus. If he looked down he would see a sizeable hole directly where his heart would be. Well, to be more correct, where it would have been. Behind him stood the assassin, a new firearm held in his hand and pointed directly at the Fullbringer. Steam escaped from the single barrel of that gun. Perhaps Marcus could have seen his face before succumbing to his injury. So, what happened?

Few seconds prior, as Marcus launched himself towards Zack in a last ditch effort to attack him, the Assassin used his own ability. The only way for Zack to be able to dodge the incoming attack was if he erased himself from existence. For him, that's not a impossible thing. His Fullbring, Sting, was how he escaped. As Marcus approached the world, for Zack, turned orange. The mask he wore was let behind as Jensen escaped from the dimension that Marcus existed in, and entered the one that only Zack could exist in. It was still an unsettling sight, Marcus's fist sinking through Jensens head. Stepping around the flying Fullbringer, Zack dashed behind him.

A half dollar coin escaped the sleeve of his left arm. It glowed similar to how the pendant earlier had lit up. The coin morphed and grew, taking on the shape of a Thompson Contender. Zacks secondary Fullbringer, Contender. Not the most original name, for sure, but Zack was never one for naming powers. Pointing the gun at Marcus the Fullbringer exited Blink he pulled the trigger. Contender was a powerful weapon. In fact, it was even stronger than the sniper rifle that Zack had used earlier. Marcus, who had used every last bit of his bodies endurance in that last attack. Marcus, who couldn't think straight due the tremendous blood loss. Marcus, who was currently wrapped in a blanket of confusion wouldn't know. He would hear the bang, but there was no way he would be able to dodge with everything that had happened.

The bullet would sink directly into Marcus's back. The high powered bullet would tear through his heart, exploding outwards and leaving a sizeable hole in his chest. The battle was over. Even if Marcus could still stand somehow, his body would have no energy left to do anything. He wouldn't be able to breath properly, if at all. No, it was over. Zack hadn't been hired to kill this man but he had been an obstacle in the mission. Surely Uzaki would find out about this, but Jensen was confident Xcution would be able to explain away the death of this Fullbringer.

Reaching into his suit he pulled out a single bullet. Opening Contender he slid the bullet into the chamber, snapping it back closed as he approached Marcus's body. Had to be sure. Raising the gun he pointed it at the back of Marcus's head. Without a second guess he pulled the trigger. No way he was getting up from that. Crouching down Zack removed the box from Marcus's hand. So much trouble over this thing. With the item in his custody he walked away, deactivating his Fullbrings and pulling a phone from his suit. "It's me. Item secured. Send a clean up crew to this position. There's a body here that Research might want to get their hands on." and with that he vanished.

Remaining Reiatsu: 1100 / 1500
-200 for Primary Fullbring Activation
-100 for Blink

Stamina: 2 / 6

SPOILER: Click to show

{OOC}
You're aware of the mod ruling on your technique. It was also ruled that due to Marcus's blood loss he wouldn't be able to move properly, as well as metal and concrete make sounds especially when metal is going into concrete forcefully. Other than that, I had a great time with this thread. I hope you and I can play again in the future

[Takashi Kuchiki]

+ 320 TP Marcus
+ 475 TP + 100 TP Victory to Zackery (575 TP)

[Amagai Kuchiki]

And the reward that was mentioned earlier, an item that will be exclusively available for winning this fight. The code for the item will also be PM'd to Zackary Jensen, to be included in his pointbank. Thank you both for playing, and I hope to see you in further matches.


Item Name: Pseudo Zanpakutou

Item Type: Weapon

Item Description:
This item is a highly sought after one, and it is incredibly illegal. If a Shinigami catches wind that someone is utilizing one, they are required to report it, and Soul Society will send an immediate strike team to neutralize the user and retrieve the item. With that said, the Pseudo Zanpakutou doesn’t appear that special at a casual glance. It is a Tanto, with a black blade that’s slightly over 14 inches. It’s a finely made weapon that has the durability of spiritual steel.

The effects of this item only become obvious when the user wields it, holding it in front of them, and calmly stating the phrase “Release Your Power”. If they do so, they must give the weapon a name, and the weapon then becomes imprinted with them. Upon releasing the weapon, it changes shape, becoming a weapon of their choice, that represents their inner self. The weapon cannot be greater than five feet in size, and it cannot be smaller than six inches in size. In addition, consult the following list to determine the effects of the weapon.

Slashing Weapon (Swords, axes, etc): This weapon has increased cutting power of 15%, making it capable of slicing through defenses and other weapons with ease.

Stabbing Weapon (Knives, spears, etc): Wounds inflicted by this weapon resist mending, causing people to bleed out faster than normal. Bleeding Tolerance of 2 or higher, or treatment from someone with at least 150 Healing Expertise negates this effect.

Ranged Weapon (Guns, crossbows, bows, etc): Appears with twenty shots worth of ammo. If an archaic weapon, the ammo is shot at speeds equal to either the user’s strength or the user’s speed, whichever is higher. If a modern weapon, the ammo is shot at a flat 650 speed. Piercing strength is 300 for both types.

Smashing Weapon (Hammers, mauls, etc): This weapon ignores armor (Blut, Hierro, Envainar Guard, etc) techniques if the user has at least a 20% higher strength then their target.

Wrapping Weapon (Chains, lasso, etc): Foes bound by this weapon cannot escape unless they have a higher strength than the weapon’s durability. This has no effect on foes of superior class.

If a weapon cannot fit into any of those categories, instead it simply has a 5% higher durability. Weapons may only fit into one category. A weapon released this way lasts for 7 posts, and can only be released once per thread. If the user let’s go of the weapon, the weapon reverts to it’s original form, a Tanto. No one else may use the weapon. The user may release the weapon in a different form in different threads, however it’s name must change for each different shape.

Price: 65,000 (Cannot be sold or bought)

Donatedtoshop?(Yes or No?): No, Prize for Showcase Match: Duel In The Shadows