--British Museum--
"Ouch..." Jacob grimaces to himself, holding the back of his head with a groan. A stun grenade, he recollects as he pulls himself to his feet.
Thanks to his awareness, Jacob had been able to avoid the full brunt of the explosion to end up relatively unharmed. Unfortunately Esperanza wasn't as lucky, who lies unmoving a short distance away, but a quick check of her pulse confirms to Jacob that she's still very much alive. A quick check of a few others caught in the blast also reveal the same result.
Without a second thought, the American suspects that whoever had thrown the grenade had not done so with the intention to kill, but to merely incapacitate them long enough to get what they're looking for, uninterrupted. It takes even less time for Jacob to gauge an idea of what it is, and therefore the chance of who's involved.
Driven by the same feeling that had warned him earlier Jacob rushes off in the opposite direction he had run in moments ago. Not even the possibility of what he might be running into - for example, their attacker, or even attackers, could each be armed, unlike himself - dares to deter him as he reaches his destination. He comes to a halt as he sees a familiar man reach out to take the prized ornament before inspecting it briefly, as if having all the time in the world.
"You!" Jacob exclaims.
Pablo snaps his head to the side, to where the voice came from, eyes settling on the face of the man who had foiled his last plans. He breaks into a slight frown, then lets loose a light chuckle.
"Interesting, so we meet again," Pablo speaks with a tone one would use if addressing a distant friend or associate, matching it with a smile. "Do you hope to stop me again this time?"
"Drop the amulet," Turner states straightforwardly.
"I'm afraid I can't do that," the Mexican responds, except his tone of voice has now digressed to being anything but reflective of the smile that seemingly refuses to leave his face. "And you're not getting in Diablo's way again."
"Diablo?" Jacob blinks. A part of him tenses in anticipation of an attack, due to Pablo's former comment. "Who's Diab-" He doesn't get to finish.
"Snakebite!" Pablo cries, whipping his free arm diagonally downwards fast enough to cause it to blur, whilst generating an energy whiplash. It strikes Turner directly at his ankles, causing him to stumble forward uncontrollably. Veracruz gives him no time to recover from his surprise attack as he separates the distance between them within a heartbeat, and then drives his point home with a glowing fist to Jacob's gut.
"Diablo doesn't have time to play with you," Pablo half-whispers to a winded Jacob, who has fallen to one knee from the impact of the Diablo Fist. The sounds of approaching police sirens begin to fill the air, serving to coincidently illustrate his point. "And I already got what I came for," he flashes the artefact before Jacob, then casually slips it somewhere inside his jacket.
"We're... not done..." Jacob says in-between gasps as he pulls himself back up to a standing position.
"I believe we are," Pablo replies dismissively. "This is the part where I win and make off with the treasure." His smile then appears to grow wider. "But if you insist..."
For a second time, the Mexican dashes towards Jacob, who reacts by taking on a defensive posture, preparing for another strike... except Pablo slips right past him, leaving the room and heading off down the hallway.
"Sh-t!" Turner swears to himself, turning around and breaking off into a pursuit after the grave robber. He gets no further than halfway down the hallway when he sees an object hurtling towards him. The sound of Pablo's laugh echoes into his ears as the stun grenade detonates in mid-air before Jacob has time to avoid it, enveloping his world in a flash of light before the darkness claims him.
====
--COF Arena--
"Wow, that girl's really something," Honda says. "Just when you think she's down..."
With his arms momentarily crossed, Fei Long expresses a contemplative nod in agreement. Up to now, the match has mainly been a back-and-forth affair, with Jin mainly on offence only to succumb at various moments to Natalie's own counterattacks, then turning it back around to repeat the cycle. Despite this, however, he can see how Natalie appears to be the more fatigued of the two.
"She seems to be getting slower," he points out. Even so, a slower Natalie is still a fast Natalie by ordinary standards, yet Long's assessment is not exactly made from an 'ordinary' perspective, but is instead from an environment he and many of the world's famous and skilled fighters are a part of. An environment where one can become so attuned to their surroundings that even the fastest movements can appear to be travelling in slow motion.
"Yeah, I think you're ri- oooh, that had to hurt!" Honda winces. "Ain't looking good for Jin right now..."
-*-
"GET HIM MIEN!" Sakura yells over the crowd.
"What a kick," Elena mentions, just as Natalie follows it up with her Fire Raid attack, landing a flurry of blows to Jin's midsection that ends with a flame-charged lunge kick.
"But it looks like that last move's taken a lot out of her," R. Mika notes with a slight despondent tone. "Her stance, it's not as strong like it was before. If I was her opponent, I'd try to end this match quickly."
"I think Jin's about to do just that," Sakura says, noticing Jin adopt a stance that she recognises, recalling the same technique associated with it that won him his first match against Enrique Pierantoni. "C'mon Mien, don't give up!"
-*-
He had to end it now.
It's that thought that currently harbours Jin's consciousness as he mentally pushes away out the pain of Natalie's latest (and prior) assault. It's that thought that causes Jin to raise a tired, knife-edged hand before his face, whilst the dark aura that is his fighting spirit emanates from his body as a faint ripple.
That stance... Natalie's eyes begin to widen slightly in realisation. Against her body's desires, the agent tries to straighten her stance as much as she can in preparation for what's about to come. That move... there's no way... the thought goes unfinished, neither does Natalie dedicate any more time on the matter. She had to act quickly, for there was no way she was about to let Jin attack her with that particular technique, whether she lost or not.
"Koko madeda..." (It ends here) Jin mutters, more to himself than towards Natalie. He takes a single step forward, causing his ki to flare wildly. Natalie blinks once, and Jin's body suddenly divides into three, then five, as they all burst into a forward dash towards her. Of the five, three remain along the two whilst the remaining two take to the air, masking his true position and pace.
"Not just yet," Natalie whispers, eyes shifting towards each image of her lover form while he dashes forward. Before the attack can begin in earnest upon her, and without having time to sense what is fake and what is real, the agent summons her ki in a powerful influx Jin can feel. Both outstretched hands, each sparking with blue-white points of energy, are suddenly thrown forward and together as an enormous sphere of blue flames ignite around her hands, covering her and the area immediately around her almost instantaneously.
All five forms of Jin blink incredulously in reaction to the Neo Storm as Kushina is forced to halt his attack just short of being completely engulfed. The illusions flicker and disappear, leaving the true Jin to hold his ground and block to keep from being consumed, using his own flames as a momentary shield. Her goal of avoiding the attack accomplished, Mien's blue flames die quickly, leaving only their battered mistress behind. Jin, despite surviving the full brunt of the attack is far from unscathed. At the moment, he feels as though every fiber of his being is in fiery pain.
Azure eyes blink as Natalie shakes her head. Her world is now a pain-filled blur, with darkness closing at the edge of her sight. It appears as if there's more than one Jin again, but she knows it's just the after-effects of her last-ditch attack on her body.
Raw lungs wheeze out a whisper directed only at Jin. "I... I told you I-" As before, she doesn't get to finish, except this time it's because of her mind blanking out in exhaustion, followed shortly by her body crumpling forward...
...but not onto the ground as she expects, but right into Jin's arms, the latter having stepped forward to catch the weakened Wynshire just as she fell onto her knees.
"I told you "It ends here", did I not?" Jin questions with a grin. The look on his face doesn't match the confident nature of his tone, but lies more towards a sympathetic gaze.
The crowd shifts from thunderous to a hushed silence, then back to an uproarious cheer all at once as Jin gently places Natalie onto the crowd and waits for the ten count before he picks her back up again.
====
--Umbrella Pacific Research Facility, Level 4 – Domicile Sector, 13:45 HAT--
Iwa had slept in far longer than usual, but it was no matter since one of her main task was done. After cleaning up she intended to head for the cafeteria for some food and a dose of strong coffee. Opening the door of her quarters the guard saluted her. She acknowledged it with a nod but noticed that he seemed to have something else to say.
"Doll-sama, Doctor Yamada requested that you wear this." He offered her a lab coat. Sensing her refusal, he leaned in closer and explained further. "The Umbrella people are very skittish about people in sneak-suits, and they're also aware that you're a project yourself."
She caught on to his meaning and did as she was told. Seeing no other problems Iwa headed off to the cafeteria.
With coffee and some sandwiches in her tray she sought out a spot for lunch. She caught someone waving at her, eventually realising that it was just Doctor Yamada inviting her over. Sitting with him in one corner of the cafeteria were the other Shadaloo based scientists. Around them on other tables were some guards and lab assistants having their noon meal. Was it any surprise that these folks practically surrounded their table? Iwa thought not.
Iwa more or less knew some of them, since they are the best students of some of the Top Tier scientists who had picked them out personally for this project. That, and the fact that these folks managed to tolerate each other long enough to work together. As for their superiors, her Master would rather not risk losing those top brains. Naturally, they knew who she was. They had to study her case when they took on this project.
It was no big surprise that Doctor Ryuta 'Brandon' Yamada was here, he had worked on her case a few months back. He was into something known as Qi Mechanics and Psychokinesis, or more commonly known as Psionics. Doctor Senoh considered this one a bright spark whose ideas suited the Master. He's very much the leader of this for this project. Compared to last night he seemed more calm and collected.
The red haired scientist was Doctor Yalana Romanov, one the better geneticist back at base and the only female of this group. She had worked on both the Doll and Clone project enough to provide the necessary information and rough statistics. The doctor had just hit 40.
Next to her was Ryan Liu. Even though he's mostly Doctor Yalana's assistant he specialized in Neuroinformatics. He too had worked on the both the Doll and Clone project. Another one in his late 30s.
Opposite him is Markus Weizheimmer, a blond hair student of psychobiology. He's in his mid 30s, somewhat on the quiet side. He too had a significant contribution to the Doll project, but nowadays was now more of an assistant to Doctor Yamada.
Then there's Timothy Van Bennett, who was transferred over from the failed clone project. He's more of a chief technician but is armed with a decent enough knowledge on what the project is about. He had to, seeing as someone had to fix the equipment, and there was no way the Master would allow Umbrella the opportunity to steal or sabotage parts. He's considered the youngest of the lot having just hit 30. Together, the five of them formed the main team. Is it any wonder that just for the five of them that there's a whole team of guards and minor lab assistants on their entourage?
Somehow it makes a person wonder what these bright sparks are thinking working for Bison. However, after reviewing their bios, it would seem that their methods of practice were usually considered unorthodox, unethical or unacceptable to mainstream studies. Or in the case of Doctor Yamada, mainstream people would consider what he does as oriental hogwash more suited to a fictional environment. Psycho Power for neural manipulation, what rubbish indeed.
She sat down in a space they opened up for her. There's cups of coffee and various plates and bowls of half eaten food. Iwa noticed Doctor Yalana fiddling around with the tourney battle program and some photographs bought in on the latest shipment. Both she and Ryan seemed a little down though.
"You met them?" she asked Iwa, handing over the program.
"Only Cana." Iwa returned the program.
"And I thought they would last a little longer." She mused and Ryan nodded in return. "At least now we know we can't clone an Essence."
"I thought you all would be holed with the Ookami in the lab, dissecting your new lab rat." Iwa said, changing the subject
"The meds are fixing him up and doing a basic check-up. I want his arm to heal proper before I start on him." He fixed a stern gaze upon Iwa. "Did you have to rough him up that much? It gets in the way of getting proper results you know."
"What? You expect him to come up to me and say 'Iwa chan. I would like to be on the Master's project'? Or am I suppose to go to him and ask, 'Excuse me Ookami kun, my master would like to run a few tests on you'." She narrowed her eyes. The remark made Doctor Yalana laugh a little. The five pulled their chairs in closer.
"The Runt made us panic a little when he arrived," Yamada removes a small little thumbdrive from the program, swiftly keeping it in his pocket. He then pointed to Sean's picture. "The Umbrella people were boasting so much about a getting a Shoto that we thought we lost The Serious One (Ryu) or Second Fiddle (Ken)."
"He's here?" Iwa asked showing some interest.
"He's on the same level as our Ookami, a different section. Escorted Access only. Similar to when they want to visit our section." Yamada flicked through the photographs.
"You're missing someone," Doctor Yalana said as she rummaged through the photographs. "The Corsair is a little older than the others but he would make a nice enough Doll. He's easy on the eye and I like green eyes." Doctor Yalana commented pointing to a picture of Riq. Like Iwa, they referred to him with a tentative name.
"I thought someone told my partner that he's unsuitable?"
Puzzlement was in the air. Obviously nobody told anybody anything.
"So our Lord Matador is jealous. But still if you can get the Corsair..." Doctor Yalana left it hanging. There were smiles all around, and the four scientists broke into an insane bout of laughter that stopped after a few seconds. Doctor Yamada wiped a tear from his eye and turned serious.
"On to business," he said, and started to brief Iwa on some details that were too risky to inform the Master on the general communication network without the risk of Umbrella intercepting the message. As well as what she would expect to see while she was here.
====
--St. Peter's Medical Centre, 15:41 HAT--
The quiet noise of the TV is the first thing Natalie notices as she slowly comes to. The second is the soft, rhythmic beeping of her heart and pulse monitor. Turquoise eyes crack open as she takes a deep breath, recognizing her surroundings as a hospital room, and the man sitting in a chair beside her bed as her fiancé. Jin's attention seems absorbed on the clipboard he holds, on it being the documented analysis of her condition.
The last moments of the fight come rushing back to her mind as she looks at him, asking in a weak voice, "Have I been out for long?"
Gold eyes look up at her from the papers he's been reading as Jin replies quietly. "A few hours, not long enough according to the doctors. It says here that apart from the injuries you sustained in our fight, you're suffering from lack of sleep, mild malnutrition-" And with how she often ate, that seems odd, "... mild dehydration, hypertension, and a few things I got no idea how to pronounce."
She chuckles softly, her throat slightly raw. It makes her voice a little hoarse as she responds, "What else is new?" When he says nothing during the humorless pause that follows, she asks tentatively, "... so how are you?"
"I'm good," he says at first, in spite of the few bruises visible. Then, after a pause, he adds, "But then, that'd depend on what you mean."
A heavy sigh precedes her answer. "I think you know what I mean, but I'll be the one to say it if you don't want to. Are we okay?" There is a slight nervous twitch in her hands as she looks away and rephrases the question, "Are you still angry with me?"
His tone is even and nearly unreadable, even to her, as he replies. "Let's just say you haven't exactly given me a reason not to be, as of late..."
Bruised lips purse as she listens to him and refrains from speaking in a harsh tone, instead choosing a quiet, tired one. "I don't guess it counts that everything I've done since getting myself caught up in this sh-t has been for you." Things he'd said and done come to her mind, things she didn't appreciate but won't mention.
Jin speaks in the same mild tone she uses. "Maybe, but there's limits in such cases."
She looks back at him with dark circles under her eyes. "Is there?" There is another tired sigh as she looks to the television while she vents some of her feelings. "I don't know what to tell you, Jin. I don't know what you want to hear. I hate all this..." she makes a vague gesture with her left hand, the one that isn't attached to an IV. "More than you can know. I'm just sorry... sorry that it's not any different and that I can't seem to make it different."
"Well, you weren't being fair about all this..." he counters, but trails into a pause and a small sigh. "But then, neither was I, so I guess we're even."
Natalie notices then that on the TV, a local channel is showing recaps of their match, ending in a part she hadn't been conscious for, when Jin caught her and lowered her gently to the ground. The sportscasters talk about how the act, and the match itself, could possibly put an end to the controversy surrounding the two.
With a small smile, Natalie echoes, "Even..." She then reaches her right hand out to Jin, palm up. "That means we're okay, right?"
He seems to think a moment, then takes her hand with a quiet, "Yeah, we're okay."
She squeezes her lover's hand gently with a warmer smile. "Good. Now... do me a favor and shut off that monitor?" she asks as she pulls her hand away to take the IV needle out of her other wrist. She leans up to sit but is forced to lie back down when a wave of dizziness hits her.
Jin, blinking at her actions, questions her. "What are you trying to do?"
She tries again, and with his help manages to sit up and swing her legs over the side of the bed, but doesn't get father with Jin looking at her, waiting for his answer.
I can't stay here, she thinks, knowing that Umbrella provides most of the medical staff and having more than just suspicions to know that - as a now former participant - she wasn't entirely safe here. But what can I tell him?
She thinks a moment longer, looking into his expecting eyes, then smiles weakly as she decides that he deserves at least a little of the truth. But not here. "I'll tell you when we get back to the hotel."
Jin quirks a brow at Natalie as she begins to fumble at the ties of the hospital gown at her back. She catches his look and adds with a coy smile, "Besides, the doctors can't do nearly as much to make me feel better as you can..."
The flirtatious grin that comes afterward makes Jin sigh in a mock-resigned manner. "So it seems," he says with a trace of a wry smile.
====
--The Lani Club, 23:35 HAT--
"What about that one?" Meliza Rinaldo pointed to a handsome stranger, hazel eyes, dark blonde hair... and with his obviously expensive fashion sense, Meliza was more than certain he would be of her companion's liking.
"Too skinny," came the uninterested response from Meliza's right. Chin propped on fist, Karin Kanzuki stirred her cocktail not bothering to hide her boredom.
Meliza sighed and inconspicuously shook her head. What she had hoped to be a fun and distracting night had, up 'til now, been the opposite, with the Japanese heiress being in a sour mood with seemingly little interest to converse... and then there was Victoria. The young Hispanic woman sat almost at the edge of the semi-circular booth table, arms crossed, eyes lost on the other side of the velvet rope where the crowd mingled, separated from the V.I.P. lounge. She hadn't spoken a word for nearly an hour. So unlike her. Her strawberry colada was still untouched.
Very unlike her, Meliza thought.
Another glance at the Kanzuki told Meliza that the blonde woman was now busily scavenging another pair of possible victims; the body-shaping, hot pink corset dress Karin wore did a wonderful job of attracting most wanted attention. It contrasted greatly with Rinaldo's darker, more conservative, navy blue, off-the shoulder top... the rest of her ensemble being a tad more provocative: a white mini-skirt and a pair of delicate blue heels completed her attire.
Concluding that Karin's point of concern was clearly elsewhere, Meliza directed her attention back to Victoria. Her apparel was the most simple of the three. A black, strapless tunic top, which did a fine job of accentuating her toned arms and shoulders, paired with vintage blue jeans and black heeled sandals.
It took three taps to the shoulder to awaken Enid from her thoughtful state.
"You're quiet tonight. What's up?" Meliza asked, taking a small sip of her own drink. Luckily, the club's music wasn't as loud in the area they sat.
"Um, nothing." Victoria finally took noticed of the drink placed in front of her.
"Just... thinking".
"About what?"
Victoria pondered for a moment. It would be hard to explain the mixed, conflicting emotions she was feeling. To say she was worried about Sean was an understatement. Any good that could have come from venting to her friend had to be suppressed. She had, after all, promised Ken Masters to hush on the issue.
"Nothing important."
Meliza smiled and attempted a guess. "You're thinking about Enrique." It was not a question.
A notably bewildered Victoria blinked, and took a second to come up with a half-composed response. "Huh? No!" Sure, Riq had popped into her thoughts several times during the last hour... but it was nothing like that. Really.
Meliza smiled again, and mischief trailed in her voice. "You don't have to pretend anymore, Victoria. After all, he is a very attractive man... right Karin?"
Karin, who had bounced back into the booth seemingly interested in the slight mention of gossip, made a tiny gesture with her hand after placing her newly acquired glass of alcohol on the table. "I guess so, if you like the older type."
Meliza continued. "And he's also a very decent man. You should have seen how strongly he tried to persuade me out of my stripping ways."
Karin choked a laugh, covering her mouth to keep from spitting half her drink onto the table, salvaging some of her lady-like manners in the process. Victoria, on the other hand, felt a wave of heat flush into her cheeks. Not only was she still slightly embarrassed by the whole 'Mel-being-a-stripper' situation, but during the past two days she had been able to successfully usher any thoughts of Enrique away, and yet her friend managed to poke into that tender spot of her psyche.
"So do you like the guy, or not?" Absently twisting a lock of blonde hair, Kanzuki insisted on pursuing further a topic that was rather uncomfortable for Victoria.
"Of course I like him..." Victoria began her reply but not before eyeing daggers in Karin's direction. "Riq and I are very good friends."
"Very close friends..." Karin pointed out, to which Meliza nodded in agreement, much to Victoria's dismay.
"You're mad! Both of you!" Enid took a large chug of her icy colada, soon regretting it as the freezing sensation swirled quickly into her head. Surprisingly, she decided to continue her monologue. "And even if I did like him..."
BINGO! Meliza grinned.
"He would never go for it." Victoria concluded, a hint of disappointment surfaced from her tone, very subtle, but Mel noticed it nonetheless.
"Well, you don't know that." Meliza offered sympathetically, while handing her empty glass to a waiter passing by and signaling for another drink. "And besides, you might be just what he needs."
Much to Victoria's relief, the conversation was dropped there. Meliza smiled. Although her friend continued being silent for pretty much the rest of the night, the light in her eyes had drastically changed for the better.
====
--Umbrella Pacific Research Facility, Level 2--
Where am I...? a visibly disorientated Sean thinks to himself. Through half-open eyes, the young warrior attempts to observe his surroundings. There isn't much light in this room, yet Sean is able to make out the combination of large computer screens and various other complicating-looking machinery, except it does nothing to alleviate his current bewilderment. Am I... dreaming...?
A tickling sensation along his face helps alert the Brazilian's senses as his eyes witness several bubbles of air rising upward. Upon looking down, Sean quickly realises with horror his immediate surroundings: his body is completely submerged in a huge glass cylinder of water, with various metallic appendages attached to his body to keep him still, complete with a breathing mask over the lower half of his face. What the hell is going on?!
"Ah, I see you're awake," a voice points out.
As if triggered by the person's voice, an overhead series of lights switch themselves on, adding more illumination into the room. Sean eventually sees whom the voice belongs to: a short, middle-aged male with a slightly stocky build, garbed in a white lab coat and a pair of brown trousers. What catches Matsuda's attention more than anything about the man, is the red-and-white coloured emblem - an image of an umbrella, from the topside viewpoint - that's printed on the front of his lab coat.
"Allow me to introduce myself," the scientist starts, moving towards a nearby machine and tapping in some keys. A low humming sound reverberates around the room as the device comes to life. "My name is Dr. Jacques Noiv," he makes a gesture with his hand. "And welcome to our Research Facility."
Research Facility?! is Sean's thought. He'd heard rumours about the Umbrella Corporation once, about certain events that seemed too farfetched to be true. Of all the things and times to be wrong about something...
"It certainly was nice of you to "volunteer" your services towards this program, Mr. Matsuda," Noiv went on with a dark smile. "Based on the data we've collected, there is some potential, albeit not exceptional when compared to our future candidates..."
Jacques continues to talk, except the majority of his words are lost to Sean, who begins to feel sleepy. Ken-sensei... somebody... help... he pleas silently before everything turns dark.