Geese stared at the redhead in front of him seriously. He wouldn't admit it to her, but in the short time they'd spent training he'd come to respect her. Not an easy thing to earn, his respect.
Julia continued to perform a kata of the Shun-Leep Style, letting Geese watch and analyze her movements. Her kicks an punches were quick and precise, not a movement wasted or breath spared.
The crimelord was also surprised with Julia's regenerative abilities. She was up and ready to train in nearly the same amount of time he was. But for now he put that aside and concentrated on analyzing the moves Julia was performing. Not the actual moves, for those were fairly simple, but the way she handled her energy to strike.
Indeed, energy arced from her body now and again as the chi was coursing through her entire frame, strengthening her more and more as time went. Her feet started to crack the wooden floor; it was starting to gain such power behind it.
Yet, Geese thought, it could reach even higher levels of power. Such levels though, required for Julia to employ what she called Murder techniques. And that was something the crimelord knew the woman refused to cross into. It was insane, restricting oneself because they felt it was dangerous. Completely absurd!
Still, that was Julia's way. Her style was her own, and powerful; something no one could doubt.
The blond crimelord narrowed his eyes in concentration and made his fist crackle with energy. He had experience doing such, yet he felt he could adapt Julia's Leep-palm to do considerably more damage. Hell! He would definitely go after the Master Blow, though he would have to adapt it for his own use. That would take him a while.
Finally Julia came to a stop and turned to the blond-haired man in the white gi and orange hakama pants. "Well?"
"The techniques are good, yet you don't use their true potential," Geese commented seriously.
Julia raised an eyebrow. "Going any further would taint them to dangerous levels."
"Like this?" Geese asked before raising a hand and throwing a Reppu ken to the other side of the dojo. While he toned it down so it would dissipate before hitting the opposite wall the blond fighter made his point. The chi blast was strong. Damn strong!
"Yes," Julia said with a hint of annoyance to her tone. "Like that."
Geese chuckled in amusement. "You still seem reluctant to accept my so called 'Murder fist' isn't as bad as you make it out to be." When Julia explained a Murder user was a cold-blooded killer without control Geese burst out laughing. While he had no trouble admitting he was the first he was too disciplined to be the second.
Julia snorted. "Of course it's not as bad as I make it out to be. It's worse!"
"Do you see me killing at random?" Geese raised an eyebrow.
"Maybe..." Julia said. "You don't seem reluctant to kill at all for one thing."
"That has nothing to do with it," Geese stated firmly and walked to the center of the dojo. "It is a matter of control, woman. Discipline, an iron will." He clenched his fist in front of his body and it started crackling dangerously with the same energy Julia had learned to associate with the Murder Fist. "You control the impulses through your dark emotions, not the other way around. Discipline."
"Control," Julia said. "A word you throw around too easily. Geese, in the Shun Philosophy, as well as many others, there are levels of enlightenment. Areas of our minds, bodies, and souls that are waiting to be unlocked." Julia looked at Geese seriously. "We gain the keys to these areas as we grow, as we learn..." Her eyes narrowed at him. "But some areas are forbidden."
"Geese, when we compete with an opponent, we feel so many emotions. But beyond fear... Beyond anger or aggression... We know the thrill of the fight," Julia said, eyeing the man seriously, her eyes practically piercing into his gaze. "Imagine if your art caused your blood to race so much faster... Caused your soul to burn far brighter... A wielder of a Murder Fist feels something beyond euphoria. They experience Nirvana... Until the battle ends... In death..." She shook her head. "Don't you see? You'd want... NEED that feeling again. And you'd want it more. You'd need the fight to last longer. You would seek stronger and stronger opponents. You wouldn't be able to stop."
Walking over and out of the dojo, to the windows of Geese's office, Julia stared out into the city. "I'm not a fool. I know killing isn't the true goal of anyone who wields a Murder Fist. But in that state... With that much skill and so little restraint..." The redhead shook her head and left it hanging, content to just look out into the city skyline of South Town.
Geese smirked. "What better way to die? What can possibly top the glorious feeling of a good battle?" He released the energy he was holding with another act of will, dispersing it harmlessly instead of throwing it at something which would be a lot easier. "And you are wrong in something you say."
The blond man walked after Julia and stared down at the city as well. "You speak of little restraint but tell me... Truly tell me... Have you seen that lack of restrain in me?"
It was true. While Geese was as vicious a fighter as Julia had ever met he kept his emotions in tight control. The crimelord wielded the power of the Murder Fist but didn't allow it to control his actions.
"No..." Julia said. "And that is why I worry for you," the woman said seriously. "As you continue to use the Murder First, your control over it may lessen."
Geese's smirk widened. "I won't allow it to." Of course, it was an extremely arrogant thing to say, but the confidence with which he said it made Julia almost believe him.
"... I want to believe that..." Julia said sadly. "I've seen too many people fall to the temptation of the Murder Fist... People that became true monsters."
"Then you shouldn't worry," Geese said. "I'm a monster already. Not a chance of me turning into one." He chuckles and continued. "Do you know for how long I've trained down this path?"
"How long?" Julia asked, afraid she might not like the answer.
"Ever since I started chi training, more than twenty years ago," Geese answered casually.
Julia raised an eyebrow. "You started young then, no more than ten years old?"
The blond man nodded. "And ever since my control has never slipped. I kill my enemies without remorse. I destroy those that oppose me. But all those are only as a means to an end." He turned to look at Julia seriously. "I've never killed for the sheer pleasure of it." He turned from the window and walked to his liquor cabinet.
Julia took that information with a grain of salt. He admitted to killing, but the fact that he got no pleasure from it... Well, it was said that not all Murder Fist users gained pleasure from he act of death. However, the more she thought of it, Geese really didn't see like the type.
"Would you like to have a drink?" Geese offered as he served one for himself.
"Thanks, but no thanks," Julia said. "I'm not in the mood right now."
Geese smirked at the chance to jab Julia where it would upset her. The woman was pretty laid back, but she had some weaknesses. "You sound like I'm offering you a night of passion."
However, Julia didn't react as Geese expected. "Isn't that what you're trying to do? Offering me hard liquor?" After all, it was common etiquette for Jade's Barbarian Clan.
Geese blinked a couple of times. "What does a drink have to do with fucking you?" He couldn't help himself in asking the question, too confused to notice.
"Common practice with my clan," Julia said with a smirk. "Booze then sex. I guess old habits and ways of thinking die hard," she said with a shrug of her shoulders.
Geese smirked again. "The offer still stands." He took a sip of his expensive liquor and took another glass.
"Then perhaps I may have a drink?" Came a male voice, one thick with a heavy German accent.
Geese's features instantly darkened as he turned towards the door. "Wolfgang..."
The tall German nodded his head. "Geese..."
Julia turned her head, and took noticed of the armored individual in the room. The ornamental armor and cape made the violet-haired man look a little more imposing than it should.
"And to what do I owe the 'pleasure' of your presence?" Geese asked as he served a drink for his half-brother and offered the glass.
Nodding his head, Krauser took the glass, and held it to his nose to smell. "Really brother. Arsenic again?" The man chuckled.
"You can't blame me for trying. Though that one is clean."
Nodding his head, Krauser put down the tainted glass and took the second one offered to him. "Thank you."
Julia blinked her eyes as she watched the two. Well, this was certainly... 'Interesting.'
"You haven't answered my question," Geese pointed out and sat down on his chair behind his desk, with Julia standing a couple of feet away by the window.
"Well Geese, as to my presence, I've heard rumor that a fighter has come to a draw with you recently in battle," Krauser said, a predatory gleam in his eyes.
"Said rumor is fact, brother," Geese confirmed. "I was quite surprised to find that woman was able to fight me to a draw. Thankfully I heal much faster than she does. It wasn't hard disposing of the body after I had Ripper shoot her in the head." The crimelord was carefully making sure not to turn and look at Julia, as to not give his half-brother any clues. Hopefully Julia would be smart enough to catch on and play along.
And indeed, Julia caught along, although she had to wonder why Geese would want his brother to think her dead. She feigned disinterest as she looked out into the cityscape.
"Ah, tis a pity," Krauser said as he shook his head. "I would have enjoyed fighting her myself before breaking her."
Julia's eye twitched.
Geese chuckled. "It would've been a disappointment. While she was strong she didn't understand the true meaning behind combat. She wasn't a true warrior, only a very talented amateur."
Julia balled her hand into a fist as she wondered if she should keep quiet or not.
...But hey, she could get back at Geese.
"Oh don't listen to Mr. Howard, sir," Julia said, looking out the window. "She was VERY good. He's just upset she wouldn't blow him when he offered."
Krauser smirked a little at that. "Always trying to be the ladies' man, eh, brother?"
The blond crimelord finished with his drink and placed the glass down on his desk. He gave Julia a glare before turning pointedly at Krauser. "I do what I can. Now if there's nothing more to your visit I'd like some time alone with my newest 'secretary' if you get my meaning. I'm certain you have business to attend yourself."
"Of course," Krauser said as he stood. "Perhaps I shall see you again sometime soon," the man said with his back turned to Geese before heading to the elevator and stepping in, the doors closing behind him.
Geese took a deep breath and turned to stare at Julia. "That was a stupid thing to do."
Julia smirked. "Sorry, but I wasn't going to let you get away with calling me a rank amateur." Her smirk widened. "Besides, your brother enjoyed seeing you on the hot-seat."
"And in the process you risked your own neck stupidly." While Geese knew Julia could hold her own against him Krauser was, loathe admitting it, another level ahead.
Julia shook her head. "Relax. He didn't suspect a thing, just that I was probably one of many women with a grudge against you."
Geese sighed. "For a supposed Master Fist you sure are undisciplined."
Julia smirked. "I'm not undisciplined. I'm just uncouth," she teased.
The crimelord frowned in annoyance. "That was my dear half-brother who just left. I had to make him think the woman that fought me wasn't truly deserving of a fight against him."
Julia nodded her head, albeit reluctantly. "He did seem strong, I'll give him that."
"He's more than strong for 'both' of us," Geese admitted through gritted teeth. "For the moment, of course."
"Of course," Julia said in agreement with him.
Geese nodded and smirked. "I'll become a lot stronger than him when I finish fixing your techniques, of course." He couldn't help jabbing at Julia's reluctance to tamper with the dark side of the art."
Julia frowned at Geese but let it slide, for now. There were more important things to do.
Geese saw the expression on Julia's face and smiled. "My researchers should be waiting for you." As soon as Julia could walk Geese had an entire team devoted to searching about all that could help Julia return to her dimension. He got daily reports of the advancements and Julia wanted to be there actively participating. He had to wonder, of course, how long it would take for the redhead to give up on it. Finding a way to travel into other worlds sounded absolutely preposterous.
Julia nodded. "Thank you. I appreciate you trying to help me find my way back."
"That was part of the deal. Don't thank me for it," Geese stated in a business manner. "While you work on that I have some business to attend." While Julia didn't know for sure she had strong suspicions she knew what kind of business Geese Howard had to take care of.
"Is it the sort of business in which, on the record, you 'supply candy'?" Julia asked with a knowing grin.
Geese smirked back. "Probably. Now get out of here. I'm sure you want to work on finding your way back."
Nodding her head, Julia headed towards the elevator.
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(Posted Mon, 09 Aug 2004 01:33)
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