Can the Panther Survive?

[Jak Halcom]

The fight was starting to get boring. Jak and the panther managed to get back to their feet at the same time though that did not change Jak's mood. Jak was expecting some kind of challenge. Something that would at least make him give some sort of effort. As it was now, Jak was putting minimal effort into fighting the panther using moves that he wouldn't really even try to do during an actual fight. It was about time that Jak wrapped this up. The boss wanted the panther brought in for some reason, and in the end of the day, Jak was there to do just that. It was time to put the cat away and get back to his flowers. He wanted to check on his latest batch were coming along. 

The panther skipped back, but Jak was not one to let up when he had an advantage. He would move to persue his target. He caught the sight of leg motion as he stepped. Jak would continue to move his foot forward in order to draw out whatever the panther had in mind. Jak's foot barely touched the ground when he tried to sweep at Jak's ankle to try and eliminate his speed advantage. Jak would keep his weight on his back leg and pull his forward foot back even with his back leg in order to let the sweep go by. While the panther's weight was commited to the attack, Jak would bounce his left foot back to blast the cat's hamstring with his shin.

The power of the kick wouldn't be enough to break bone, but it would definatly be painful to put weight on. It should have also been enough to turn the cat even further possibly presenting his back to Jak. If Jak saw the cat's back, Jak would move in grabbing the cat's chin with one hand and hair with the other pulling him back to break his balance to the back. Jak opened his right hip letting his right foot tap the ground and then spring back up to deliver a hard knee kick to the panther's back. Jak would pull his leg back one more time to generate momentum and throw the panther back down to the ground. The concrete cracking more the thud of each hit echoing through the tunnels. 

Jak would look over the cat with a disappointed look on his face. He would shake his head sighing. "I don't know what the boss sees in you." Jak would say not sure that the cat understood him or not. "All he said was to capture you and bring you in, but honestly I don't see a reason to. I fight things stronger than you on a daily basis, if it were up to me, I would just fling you back wherever it was you came from." Jak shrugged. "Well it isn't up to me. I don't know if you can understand me, but know that I was expecting a lot more from you, and you disappoint me. Oh well, can't all be winners." Jak would bring his foot high to bring his heel down on the cat to knock it out.

[Impossible]

Okay, enough is enough. Impo has been fine with letting the mutant ghost were-cat wear itself out, but now there was about her reiatsu signature down in those nasty sewers. Impo was getting tired of it. He had a few ways to get down there, none of them too safe for him, or the streets. So that meant he couldn't use cero to open it up, not without causing who knows how much damage, as well as probably killing both of them, something he did not want, especially if he wanted a way to explain this to Kazura.

Then he remembered an old trick he learned to do with his flood. The failure made a grin that Kitai would be proud of, and summoned his flood. It then promptly fell to the ground, and leaked into the gutters. The two fighters would be able to see a glowing liquid mix in with the water around them, though it would go unnoticed due to the fighting. After a few more moments, the water around them would surge up, enveloping the both of them, flooding, heh, the area. It would hold them for a few moments, probably making them think they might drown, before the water began rushing out of a nearby manhole, with them going with it.

One of Impo's older, lesser used abilities, let the young man change the elemental nature of his flood, in this case water. As the water brought the two to the surface, it also held them tightly, preventing them from moving. The water moved away from their heads, letting them breath once more. "Okay a$$#oles," He began, letting them know exactly how pleasant this conversation would be. "We're all going on a trip, and if either of you start talking sh*t, you can see how much fun being waterboarded with sewer water is."

Failure's Gift: 500 reiatsu
Total reiatsu remaining: 375/1400

[Rafael]

Rafael felt the cement beneath him as he was slammed into it by the human looking guy that had been itching to fight him so eagerly. Rafael was powerless to actually beat him in a contest of brute strength which was a big surprise, but what he wasn't going to do was lay down and admit defeat so easily. Just as he was beginning to focus his reiatsu throughout the fur where the human was holding him suddenly he felt the water of the sewer enclose around him. Closing his eyes and holding his breath Rafael waited until finally he was above ground and could see that the strange color changing human that had been chasing him down was now right in front of him and was obvious the reason why he couldn't move now and was no longer in the sewer.

He had heard from the human that had been strong enough to fight him head on that the boss of these two was interested in him. Rafael wasn't sure what kind of interest, but he wasn't to keen on finding out. Flexing his muscles Rafael's body began much larger in size, but it didn't succeed in anything as he couldn't break free from the reiatsu surrounding him. Although he wanted to get away he was smart enough to know that at the moment there was nothing at all he could do. He'd been caught and now he was going to have to meet this boss. If these two were stronger than him and they were bringing him to their boss now then just how strong could the boss be and did Rafael have any chance of getting back to his friends?

1 Hour Later

Rafael had been put into a state of unconsciousness by something that in all reality he didn't know. Whatever had caused it had to have been when he had been captured as he was just now waking up. He opened his eyes to see that he was inside of a small room that didn't have any sort of decorations of the walls. Then he realized he was strapped down to a table beneath him. There was a heavy strap over his chest and arms as well as one over his shins. Flexing his muscles and pushing up Rafael felt the straps give way a small amount, but knew that he was powerless at the moment to break these restrains.

01:01:00

[Kazura Uzaki]

Just what was this that Jak and Impossible had brought to Kazura? Looking like a humanoid cat, the inventor was intrigued by the size of the panther and the... humanity of Rafael. Kazura had never met a member of the Beast Clan, and so this was a new experience for him. Rafael was currently strapped to the table, for his safety and the safety of those around in the Uzaki Enterprises headquarters in whose basement the panther currently was. Kazura took notes on the spiritual nature of the Beast Clansman, as well as took notes from Jak and Impossible about their fight with him. When he was done examining from afar, he would approach Rafael. "I hear from my employees that you can talk. So tell me, should I consider you a threat to Karakura Town and to the innocent humans living here?"

[Jak Halcom]

Jak sat in a chair outside of the room that the panther man was held in. He wanted to be sure that he was secured in there, and even if he did escape his bonds, he wouldn't get far before he had a chance for round two. So far the thing didn't even make a peep. Sitting outside the hall was pretty boring. He yawned loudly. His eyes were growing heavy from boredom, and was about to nod off. Footsteps echoed through the hall. Jak heard them and snapped awake looking up to see Kazura heading his way. Jak was sort of surprised that the big boss would bother with the panther, but then again, they hadn't seen anything like him before. Still He would have thought he would have sent Takara or someone to deal with it. 

Jak stood up as his boss neared. "He has been real quiet. Just woke up a short while ago." Jak would follow Kazura into the room his arms folded. He knew that Kazura was very capable of handling himself if the panther got free, but again, Jak was itching for that second round. It was more an excuse than precaution. Jak said nothing while Kazura questioned the beast man. He also kept close to the door wondering if he needed to bring in that chair or not. 

[Rafael]

Strapped to the table as he was Rafael flexed his upper body attempting to make the muscles that resided below his thick black fur expand to the point that perhaps the straps would break and he'd be free. Sadly, he acquired no such luck as the straps held and Rafael realized that his upper body didn't possesses the strength to break him out alone. Next was his legs flexing them and raising them upwards with all of his might Rafael pushed against the straps binding him to the table. He could hear the sounds of the straps on the table. This time he could feel the straps struggling to stay together yet he only got so far. Despite his might as a Beast getting out from these straps was quite hard. He was going to attempt utilizing his body as a whole now when he heard the sound of the door opening and stilled his body turning his head to gaze at whoever was entering.

A male stepped inside of the room. One that to Rafael was quite small with no real muscle to speak of beneath his clothing. He wasn't very happy to know that this man was looking him over like he was some kind of freak. Something to be studied and researched. He wasn't an item or possession. Alongside this new human he saw the young dark skinned white haired guy that he had fought against in the sewers beneath the streets. He possessed strength more formidable than even his own and Rafael had a feeling that he hadn't even started to fight against him for real. Whoever these guys were they were powerful. The new one spoke first asking if he was a threat to the people that lived in the town.

"No threat to people. Not sure how I got here. Glowing guy rude attacked me first. Then he attacked after. Now here with you acting like I'm some pet." Rafael starred angrily at the man his grey pupil-less eyes narrowing like daggers ready to pierce into this man's body. Rafael was no pet he was a Beast! He'd get out of here and get back to his friends he didn't care who was against him or what they wanted to do to him. He was going to win!

01:03:00

[Kazura Uzaki]

Rafael claimed that he was no threat to the people, that he had no idea where he came from. Kazura couldn't just take him at his word, just yet, so he had to ask a few more questions. "So where do you come from, then? And no, you're not being treated like a pet, you're being treated as a potential danger to my town. Your presence is enough to cause a panic in the streets if you were found. You do look quite like a monster to the average onlooker. I can't have a panic as that would cause innocents to get hurt. Now, your name?" Kazura was very direct and stern with the Beast Clansman. The fullbringer may have a kind and caring heart most times, but when it came to potential threats to humanity he did not joke around. At all.

[Rafael]

This man just continued to run his mouth wanting more and more information about Rafael. He didn't trust him so why should Rafael trust this man. He asked him where he had come from. Did he not know about the place with the Beasts and the Shinigami. It didn't matter those thoughts only passed through Rafael's mind for a moment when his next words made Rafael's emotions flare in anger. He was no danger to the town. Humans were mean creatures that had caused so many problems for Rafael when he had been one of them. He knew they would do nothing, but treat him badly now that he was no longer one of them. So far he had been right because these two were standing over him while he remained powerless.

Rafael began to flex his muscles all at once now pushing up against the straps that began to quickly give way. Rafael pushed against the table with his elbows actually denting the table until after a few moments the straps held and Rafael starred angrily at the man who was obviously in charge. He was this boy with the white hair's Alpha. "I come from same place as Shinigami. My name is Rafael. I am no monster. Humans are the real monsters. Treat everything different like it's bad. To blind to see you're bad."

01:04:00

[Jak Halcom]

"The panther does have a point." Jak said softly. "I should know, been treated like a freak, madman, and a monster all my life. Ever since I was able to walk." Jak looked at the panther with a somewhat pitiable glance. He knew how it felt to struggle against the bonds of someone stronger. Someone who treated him like a threat instead of an equal. His mind flashed back to his fight with Asmokon, the Quincy. He remembered how he was caught in some sort of restraining technique and then shot in the chest like he was a trapped animal. A flash of anger could be seen on Jak's face, but he did not act on it. Jak just crossed his arms rattling the chain on his right arm.

[Kazura Uzaki]

"Blind? Bad? You have no idea what we have sacrificed to protect this town and this country..." Kazura thought back to all of the employees that he had lost or had left... Yoko... Siegfried... So many others that had seemed so promising but yet had left, died, or gone missing in action. Kazura had invited them into this business during their interviews, and so he placed the blame on himself for their loss. This... Rafael who had shown up couldn't have a clue what was going through Kazura's mind right now. All of the grief, all of the loss... It was making the fullbringer angry. But he calmed down, for now.

He could see the restraints barely holding Rafael back, so he was very cautious and on his guard. They were in the basement of Uzaki Enterprises Headquarters right now, Kazura not having a better off site facility to have taken the beast clansman to. There were a lot of people up above that could get hurt if Rafael got loose and went on a rampage. He claimed that he was no threat, but how would he act when he got free? He was actively trying to get loose, and had even dented the table so far. That showed he had considerable strength. Would it be enough to snap the restraints, quite possibly. Kazura knew quite a bit about human anatomy, but little about panther anatomy. Would Rafael be a mixture of the two, one more than the other? Kazura could only guess.

Kazura scrolled through his mental banks of knowledge. What would be the most efficient way to hold the panther without hurting him? The restraints were not appearing to be sufficient. The room would quake with force as Kazura activated Gate, doubling his spiritual prowess. With a deep breath in, he pulled as much air into his lungs and then used Soul Command masterfully to convert it into raw carbon out of the CO2 in the air. Expelling it from his lungs, five chains emerged and moved at his mental command to wrap around the table and restrain the panther further. Then he relaxed his exertion of energy, having made chains with 300 durability to hopefully resist the Beast Clansman's strength...

"If you really weren't a threat, you'd submit for now and let me transport you out without resisting. I don't know why you've come to the land of the living, but I think that you should go back home. For all our sakes, and especially yours if you continue to insult me."

[Rafael]

When the man spoke again it sounded as if he was angry that Rafael would make the remarks he did about humans. He was no longer fighting against the restrains it was clear that if he wanted to now he could break free the only problem would be trying to fight through both of these guys at the same time and he already knew the one with the white hair could put up a decent enough fight. The fact that this guy was his leader meant that he was more than likely even stronger so the chances of him winning in a straight forward fight were virtually zero. That meant he had to figure out another way to get free. "Protect the town and country of what? Humans who judge everything, everyone no matter what. If it's different it can't be trusted. If it better it must be harmed. If it scary it must be killed. All you protect are evil creatures that don't deserve to be protected."

It didn't take long for the man to make some sort of action to further prove Rafael's point at least in Rafael's opinion at least. The room began to shake much to Rafael's surprise causing him to actually shift his head from one side to another only to realize it was more than likely happening because of the man and not the room itself or an outside source. After a moment or two passed the man opened his mouth and to an even bigger shock Rafael watched as five fairly large chains emerged that began to wrap around his body and the table restraining him much easier than the previous restrains. "Almost like Shinigami magic." Rafael flexed testing the durability of the chains that were now wrapped around him. They were stronger, but were they strong enough to truly hold him?

As the man spoke Rafael's grey eyes although they possessed no pupils would narrow while burning with intensity towards the man. "YOU SPEAK OF ME INSULTING YOU! All you've done is continue to hold me prisoner! Protector Ha! Just another human treating something different than you with mistrust and contempt. You're no better than the Shinigami. I may not know how I got back here, but nothing has changed. You want me to submit you know nothing of pride. I am no pet to be ordered around especially not by a self-righteous human who believes he's protecting others that deserve to continue treating everything else however they wish as if it belongs to them! You want me gone fine! Figure out a way to send me back to where I came from and I'll be glad to be rid of you viruses." Each word from Rafael's mouth was spoken with venom produced from his own contempt of humans. It didn't matter if he was completely in the right at the moment his mind was being more and more aggressive the longer this continued.

[Jak Halcom]

Jak yawned listening to the two of them speak. He quickly figured out that he was not really needed to guard the panther, but he still felt a little invested in what was going on since he was basically who would have brought it in. Jak had shifted in his seat to the point where he was sitting in it backwards facing the panther. He had his arms resting on the back of the chair, and his chin rested on on his arms. He was tempted to catch a little shut eye. He doubted that he would miss much if he did. Besides, if the panther broke out, it would wake him, and he could have some fun again. Otherwise there was not much to keep him occupied. 

Then the panther started shouting which caused Jak to jolt awake nearly causing him to fall out of the chair. He went on about how humans were the scum of the worlds and blah blah blah, Jak yawned again as he started to wake up. He stood up and stretched looking at Kazura. "Well if he thinks we are so bad, lets let him prove himself then. Let the kitty loose, I can watch him to make sure he doesn't get into any trouble." Jak looked to Rafael. It wasn't with the battle eagerness that he had earlier, but one with a hint of comradery with the panther. He had felt the same way with humans as well as shinigami. If Jak could learn to cool his jets, maybe the panther could as well. "If he gets runs loose and causes trouble, just put the damages on my tab." He winked confidently at Kazura telling him he got this. 

[Kazura Uzaki]

Viruses? Evil? Self-righteous? Every word out of Rafael's mouth made Kazura more and more angry. The chains clenched tighter, possibly squeezing the air out of Rafael's lungs to force him to gasp for air. Kazura would have gladly thrown the beast clansman into a portal to the Soul Society if he had one, but alas, there was no way for the man to do so. He would just have to put up with the panther's presence, for now. Though, Jak stepped in and offered to watch Rafael... That was a good idea. Take Kazura's emotions out of the equation and just let his subordinate handle it. Yes, a good idea.

Releasing his grip on the chains, wordlessly Kazura just stormed out of the room leaving the two alone.

[Rafael]

Rafael could see the anger in the eyes of the boss human that was restraining him with the heavy chains that in truth Rafael could tell would take a large amount of effort and some time to break apart. He was definitely strong, but he wasn't an ally and the way that he had been treating him for the betterment of horrible creatures just made him more of an enemy. He stormed off a few moments after the white haired guy spoke up though saying how he would look after Rafael to make sure he didn't cause any sort of problems.

The chains disappeared and the man left the room leaving Rafael inside of it with the white haired guy. Getting up off the table Rafael stood looking down at the young man. He looked to be a few years older than Rafael had been when he had been human. He had already faced off against this guy briefly and knew that he was incredibly strong physically. Apart from that though and knowing some basic hand to hand combat methods Rafael didn't know anything about him. "Where am I?"

01:05:00

[Jak Halcom]

Jak watched his boss leave the room in a huff. Jak was rather impressed with the Panther. Jak never had seen anyone rattle Kazura like he had done. A smile spread across Jak's face. Sitting in front of the door, Jak was sure to block the only exit out into the hall. "Not sure what else to add to what the boss said." Jak admitted. "We are in one of the lowest levels of the boss's building. A den of spiritually aware, and powerful fighters fighting for their own reasons." Jak shrugged leaning forward in his chair. "not sure what else to add." Jak eyed the panther with interest. "But what about you? Tell me about you, your home and comrades."