exsiliumlogs | (no subject)

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Date & Time: May 27th, afternoon
Location: Outskirts of the city
Characters: Keith Goodman, Jake Martinez, and Coby
Summary: Keith wants to bring Jake to justice, but will that happen?
Warnings: Violence, swearing, injuries likely and Jake.

While Keith at first wanted to go alone to deal with Jake, since the quicker they got this over with the faster a known and dangerous criminal could be off the street, he knew it would be foolish to go alone. So he enlisted help of a fellow friend who shared his views of justice, Coby. On the way there, he briefed Coby about Jake's powerset, about his mind reading abilities and force fields that could block attacks and create powerful blasts that can knock down buildings. They had to come up with a solution to block out the mind reading.

As they approached the outside of the city, Keith put on his helmet and his superhero uniform instantly transformed on him. Perhaps Coby could drink his soda to get a boost. All they could do now was wait and see if Jake would follow through on his promise to come here in the wasteland. At least here he couldn't feel bad about causing any damage.

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Jake hadn't had any qualms about fighting. Things were getting boring in this city anyway, and people seemed to just keep their fights to themselves. He was interested to see if fly-boy was any better than before, but then he reasoned that it was hard to be any worse. The guy was obviously better prepared to deal with him, but that didn't mean there would be an actual better performance.

He had left Kriem to her own devices, aware she would worry but unable to help him right now. He preferred her safe rather than trying something that might result in casualties. Besides, he was the only one probably intent on certain casualties, though he had no real intention of killing Sky High. He didn't kill other NEXT after all; it was a policy he lived by. Gods chosen could weigh against each other, but death meant one less person better than humans.

Humming to himself, he chewed on his thumbnail even if he had just cut them down. He approached the southwestern area and felt the brush of minds. He knew the feel of Sky High's, but now he had a real name to go with it. He hopped up onto a fallen wall of stone and suddenly called out, "I hope you brought a first-aid kit, shithead."

It was the first time he'd actually been invited to such an open challenge. Unlike how most pirates and criminals operated, the man Keith described seemed to be willing to put himself away from others to prove a point to some extent. Following Keith in silence, Coby knew he didn't have to develop much of a strategy beyond what he was normally used to. Keith seemed to believe otherwise--it was likely they didn't have many will-users where he came from.

Coby could feel Jake's presence hundreds of yards away. It was one of the few large living presences that far along the outlands. Admittedly, he could tell by that description of the man why Keith had been cautious. As they closed in and Jake looked down, Coby took off his mantle and threw it over a dead, stringy bush. He stood in front of Jake, just a little bit behind Keith. Wearing a plain black suit and white dress shirt, Coby began taking off his jacket and tossing it on his mantle.

"If you'll excuse me. I just got this suit and I would be remiss if I were careless enough to get it too dirty, Mr. Keith."

"Yes, be careful please." He whispered to Coby, even though Jake could her them loud and clear He didn't know how far Jake's mental abilities extended but he would be damned if Coby got killed during the mess. He had no desire for killing Jake either, because that would put him as being no better than a criminal himself.

Okay, now to address Jake now before they fought. "I'm pleased that you're a man of your word Jake Martinez. But I cannot let your crimes go unpunished even in another world." He pointed a finger right at the other man, his senses on alert in case any funny business were to erupt. He had no doubt that a surprise attack would happen.

Well, if they didn't want to get their clothing dirty, that was fine by me. He'd prefer to keep his coat in good condition too, as it was pretty good about keeping off the rain where it covered. Of course, he could care less anywhere else on him, and he shifted more of his weight to his prosthetic leg as he regarded the pair. One was more certain than the other it seemed.

"What crimes would those be, huh? I haven't committed any crimes in this world, nor on any of missions I've been forced to attend," he said, rubbing the spot between his eyes to move some water down the bridge of his nose faster. "Are you forcing your sense of justice on me for doin' nothing so far, Hero?"

"Those are odd words coming from a man with malicious intent," Coby felt the pulse of Jake's emotions. The subtle tint of a desire to pummel someone had been in his voice and in his body language, only deepened by that colorful emotion. He regarded Jake with a relaxed look, loosening his tie a notch in preparation.

"Now--simply because you've neglected to commit a crime here doesn't absolve you of other ones. In that regard, showing you what we're capable of retaliating against you with seems fair enough," to which Coby let his posture slack. He stood with his arms at his sides, patiently waiting for Jake. The thought in his head, Let him decide the flow was one consistently floating around. It was only because Coby would have felt less guilty for attacking if Jake began, himself. "Now--are we all beyond the point of excuses?"

"I have no doubt that you're start killing, and killing again Jake." He backs up Coby's words. It's precisely that Jake hasn't started up trouble yet that they wanted to catch him. Nip it in the bud before it got worse. If he did start over again, it would make Keith feel awful that he didn't at least try to do something first.

Keith then walked sideways to distance himself horizontally from Coby. When an attack would happen, they could cover from both sides of their set battlefield in preparation. Keith also kept his thoughts to a minimum, knowing anything he could think of was going to be seen as clear as day for Jake.

"Huh, I went to jail for the other ones. Paid my price locked up with other shitty criminals with empty lives," he said and tucked his hands against his waist as he regarded the pair. He wasn't about to be baited into attacking first just yet, since it was more amusing doing it this way. Plus, the back-up was unknown to him and spouting off interesting jargon, so he'd keep an eye on that character.

"Meh, I might if it tickles me, but I've got other things on my mind right now. Besides, you're the one to challenge me, not the other way around. I already showed you who was a better man, Sky High. We don't really need a repeat, do we?" He suspected that they probably did. Heroes had an annoying habit of not actually getting the message the first time. He watched the Hero's movements with an air of boredom.

A bully, Coby thought. He immediately remembered Alvida, using her ridiculous strength to keep her crew in line, torturing him in the process with the constant fear of death. Coby briefly smiled, recalling the look on her face when Luffy came around and punched her across the ocean, ending that reign of hers. It didn't seem all that different. Immediately, Coby seemed to understand.

"I see. You think you're a better man because of your strength," Stopping in his stride, Coby regarded Keith rather than Jake, himself. He spoke aloud, knowing it would be pointless to bother hiding his inquiry. After encountering men with strange devil fruit powers who could create strange things and simulate weird events with their minds, it was clear he needed to assess how much force he could safely use.

"Keith--If I broke past his defense, what level of physical strength would you say he possesses? It would be pointless if I killed him."

"And what about holding the city hostage and conspiring to destroy it for your own gain?" Keith retorted back to him. "That's a capital crime."

"He isn't very strong physically, as he relies on his powers before using his fists." Keith relayed back to him. He remembered clearly back in his own world that a strong kick was enough to render nearly incapable of fighting. "Just try to get one good blow on him." Keith advised his friend.

"A capital crime, huh? I'm pretty sure I died, so I paid for that too now didn't I?" Okay, okay, he knew that he had died from what Kriem had shown him, but he hadn't actually lost his life to his knowledge. He came before that time, before that kick, but it seemed like a waste to bicker over details.

Of course, he was pleased with the flow of reflection from the new 'friend' as it gave him an idea of the strength of those from his world, and he mentally calculated how much energy he would need to avoid being 'punched across an ocean'. He smirked and began to glow orange, standing ever casually as he regarded the two. "Heh, hiding behind a stronger piece of shit... this is why NEXT never advanced as they should have. This is shit."

"It's the same as hiding behind your own powers," Coby remarked, straightening himself. Rather than moving an inch more, he tightened his guard and slowly enough, adjusted his line of thought. He let his mind focus on Jake's presence, feeling out where he was pushing his will. It would allow him to sense any attacks before they were even made. So, he thought to himself intentionally, I'll punch him in his left cheek.

So, Coby jumped--crossing a dozen or so yards in the blink of an eye. He straightened his shoulders, thrust out his left hand and tightened his fist while hardening his body like iron, throwing a straight punch for Jake's left cheek.

Without thinking, Keith rushed forward to match Coby's movements. He attacked from the opposite side with a small ball of concentrated wind he had conjured up. Even though Jake could read his movements, would he be able to take two attacks from opposite angles at once? Keith wasn't sure but it would help their chances out.

"At least you're on your own strength, and that's what matters," he replied back, hearing the thoughts but watching as well. He was well-aware that Fly-boy had shared information, so he assumed that his ability to read minds had probably come up. As soon as the kid tightened, he responded in kind and shot to the side away from the punch and more into Sky High's direction.

He snapped his fingers, absorbing and deflecting the wind attack as he moved to barrel right into the Hero instead.

"Shave!"

Admittedly, he didn't have the time to respond. Jake was right, but he couldn't help but think--he had to work hard for his own strength. He wouldn't hide behind it, though. Coby viewed his strength as something necessary to protect others from criminals so they wouldn't suffer like he did.

Missing was never a concern for Coby. When fighting Will-users who could Observe their opponents' paths of attack, it was always a simple routine. One was supposed to inundate them with blows until something hit. Though, it helped best when one could decipher a pattern. Using his 'shave' movement, Coby kicked the ground ten times instantaneously, rushing between Keith and Jake, looking to intercept that attack by raising his left forearm up to stop him--coating it with his will and tinting it black, like rough smelted steel.

Keith was however not so fortunate, he was knocked back by the blast. He had known it was a possibility, so he uses the wind and his suit to cushion the fall back from him.

This time he gave just a yell. He wasn't Sky High right now performing in front of the cameras, he was Keith Goodman saddled with the duty of capturing a rogue NEXT. So he launched a few powered airballs as a distance attack to see how Jake would respond tot hat.

He continued moving even as he found Sky High knocked back but this new guy in his way. That was an interesting ability, coating limbs with will, if that's actually what it was. No doubt a technique from a different world. He was still on the move though, so he slowed himself as he sensed the wind attacks on the way.

With one hand, he snapped his fingers to create a barrier to the side that would deflect the wind attacks from impacting, keeping the barrier close. The other hand created fine-pointed laser beams that shot like bullets at his little will-based opponent.

He saw it before it happened. Coby leaned to the side, seeing himself get shot through the throat by Jake's ability. His 'will' projected to him the worst possible outcome if he were to neglect to avoid an attack. Seeing where the blasts were going, Coby curtly stepped past them with practiced ease. In the next moment he vanished, kicking the ground ten times in an instant.

The air around Jake would shift occasionally as Coby blipped from point to point in the air, moving quicker than the eye could see.

"Mr. Martinez. Have you ever fought anyone else that could predict attacks?"

Keith wasn't making as progress. Even though he had prior experience in fighting him, there was only so much he could do. Coby was much stronger than he was, as he relied on his amazing physical strength alone than just powers. Even he had to watch Coby in awe for a minute.

But he comes to his senses soon enough and sends a gust of air coming from down low to knock Jake off his feet.

Mental thoughts moved along with the physical body, and he was intelligent enough to process the information that came from his ability. He had grown up with it, so it was more like a sixth sense as he came to a stop and tilted his head as if listening, which he technically was.

"Can't say I have. I also can't say it will make much of a difference," he replied casually even as he clocked the movements of the two men he was 'fighting'. He snapped the fingers of both hands, creating a bubble barrier around himself to absorb the wind attack before he looked towards Sky High. "That it still? I had hoped you'd have improved since the last time."

"I see," Coby whirled in a circle around Jake, stopping himself with a tight smile. As Keith's wind bounded against Jake's barrier, Coby leveled his arms in front of himself, parallel to one another. He tightened his stomach, coating his arms in his will to an immense extent.

"The problem is that in the end, you're not a fighter--just an ordinary man with super-powers. If we carried your barrier into the sky, I bet you wouldn't get killed by the impact--but, the force of air pressure and the impact alone inside your barrier would definitely be another story entirely."

Keith grunted. Whatever he was doing wasn't working that well, but he wouldn't stop until he got himself out of commission again.

"What are you thinking about doing next Coby?" He asked, keeping the assault off for now so he could listen in on his friend to see what to do.

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(no subject)

like how jake is his own warning

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