[lonewolf]

There was a need to break the monotony of coursework and simulations. Mark had let himself slip into a routine, and he was not about that life. So he did the only logical thing he could do: discretely raid Iphi's current cases, and insert himself into one of them once again. Granted, it wasn't hard to do, all he needed was find something she interacted with and he could easily skim through some of the information as it passed across his eyes. And, amazingly, he found something that required little effort.

It was suspected a wanted criminal was using a place of business in Kyoto as a base of operations. Granted, there were a few locations that was suspected, but the most likely was a bar on a quiet street. All sorts of seedy things were suspected of going on in there, but there was not enough probable cause to gain a warrant. The criminal in question was a suspect in at least three murders, all of them involving vigilantes, which begged the question: was this guy a bounty hunter of some kind? Assassin? Not a lot was known, except this guy had an awful temper. He had been arrested a while back for assault and battery, but nothing beyond that. If he was the perp, then it was likely he was dangerous.

So Mark did what Mark usually does when he doesn't have a lot of information: he stakes out the location in question. He parked his car in a spot to give him the best vantage point, seeing at least two sides without exposing where he was. He couldn't see the back, but this place was legit. Likely this suspect would use the front door. All he had to do was wait.

Kokoro

[Kokoro]

On her journey to find that one fated quirk rumors had led her to a bar on a quiet street. To the uninitiated it might not look all that suspicious, but nefarious dealings took place here, or so the story went. Too many rumors and stories were pointing her in the direction of this bar so she simply had to see it for herself. Not as Buzzard the vigilante, but simply as Kokoro. Although she did bring her swords this time, just because she might need them. Unlike last time she couldn't count herself so lucky as to run into a friendly hero that could help her around the city.

She was fine with it either way. She was used to being armed and she was used to taking care of herself. Normally she didn't talk to heroes, the risk was simply too big even if you could trust them to do the right thing. No, usually her allies or business partners were some flavor of criminal, and sometimes you couldn't just how bad they were on the surface. Adjusting her handbag on one side, she let her swords rest on her other hip, stopping and checking her bag for something one last time outside of the bar before heading inside.

The one who can take quirks, pluck them from people and give them to someone else. A horrible villain, but if anyone knew about temporal quirk powers it would be him. Maybe someone at this bar knew more, knew where to find him or better yet, could put a good word in for her.

lonewolf

[lonewolf]

A little notepad had various doodles and points he could look back on when he got back to his office, but when he looked up and saw a familiar face he couldn't help but pause. He hadn't seen Kokoro since that night, and while he wanted to get back in contact with her he couldn't bring himself to do it. Now that he saw her again, he couldn't help but wonder: what was she doing here? And what was with the swords?

As she went in he looked around. There weren't that many people around, but that didn't mean he wouldn't be observed. Taking a breath, he made sure his guns were on him and out of sight, put his notepad in his jacket, locked up his car and went to follow her inside. Worst case scenario, she was involved in this in some way...which would suck, but love did that. Not that he knew what love was.

The inside was smoky and foul smelling, but this wasn't the first bar Mark had been do that had those characteristics. In truth, he should have been professional and stayed in the car, but he couldn't help himself. Doing a brief scan he noted where Kokoro went, and inviting himself next to her at the bar he held up his hand at the tender as he got her order. "Beer for me, whatever ya recommend. I'll cover for the lady, too." He looked over at her, winking. "Fancy meeting you here."

Kokoro

[Kokoro]

Once she took her seat she looked around the bar before smiling up at the bartender. Now all she had to do was ask around and scope out the people that knew something. Then she would get her answers. Who knew, she might even be so lucky and have someone approach her. She had often been told that she was the type of person who stood out in a crowd. Whether that was because of her swords or the way she looked she wasn't sure. When she heard someone approaching she mentally prepared herself, but she wasn't ready for such a familiar voice to speak up. Her eyes lit up when she saw the face of the man she wasn't sure she would meet again. ''Mark?'' She asked in English, a little inside joke of theirs. ''<You visit bars like this too?>'' She couldn't help but smile, heck, it practically snuck up on her. Here she was ready to get serious and to look for clues, but then he showed up.

It did sort of throw a wrench in her plan. What now, should she address the fact that she was armed, or try to play it off like it was nothing? Lying and saying they were props probably wouldn't cut it either, not against an investigative type like him. ''There's something I wanted to show you.'' She pulled her handbag up in her lap took out a phone, showing it to him proudly. ''Remember how you asked for my number, but I didn't have one? Well, I went ahead and bought one of these mobile telephones that everyone carry around.'' She smiled, handing it over to him. Thankfully it was a civilian phone. She was never going to conduct any criminal business through it. ''I don't know how to add a phone number yet, but maybe you could put in yours?''

lonewolf

[lonewolf]

He smiled back at her, her reaction seeming to be genuine at his presence. There was a part of his brain that screamed that this spelt trouble for the foreseeable future, but then again every time he got entangled with a woman that was what he got regardless. This time though it seemed to be potentially even more than normal due to the circumstances. Something that he would have to address soon, but one thing at a time. The phone that he found thrust in his direction was a surprise, but he took it and opened it up. "Sure thing, would love to do that!" He'd work on adding his contacts into her number, tilting his body to face her more but also so he could begin scanning the room. There were definitely some shady types around here, but not the one he was looking for. Maybe a few were associates?

And then there was the issue of his real name being used. That was going to be a problem in the long run..."I don't often come to places like this," he says, sending himself a text from her phone before handing it back. "What brings you in here? I wouldn't expect a place like that to be your speed." A loaded question, a buildup to something bigger. But he had stupidly run straight into trouble, and now he had to tread water. That included keeping his head up.

Kokoro

[Kokoro]

''That'll make it easier for us to stay in touch, right?'' Not only was it worthy investment because it made her civilian persona less suspicious, but it was worth it because Mark was someone she could trust. Sure, she would have to be careful not to give away who she really was, but in the meantime why not enjoy herself a bit? How often did she get to make friends, like real friends and not temporary allies that could turn on her if bribed at the wrong time. She was impressed with how quick he was able to add his number. Heck, she was watching but she could hardly keep up! Was it a requirement for heroes to be so good at IT?

''I figured. You're too handsome to be hanging around a place like this.'' She teased, happily accepting her phone back and putting it away again. ''Well...'' Oh dear, here he was asking about her. He had every right to be suspicious, she would probably be suspicious of him too if their roles were reversed. ''Usually you would be right, but I have some business in here.'' Unlike Mark she was so relaxed that she didn't bother to keep an eye on their surroundings at all. ''I'm a traveler after all, and a journey has many stops, this is just another one of them.'' She tried to reassure him, reaching out to rest her hand on top of his. ''Do you think I'm here because I have bad intentions?''

If you do, then you should run away now. This is not a path you can walk with me.

lonewolf

[lonewolf]

"A lot easier," he says, looking at their drinks as they came. He reaches for his bottle, tilting it up to take a swig, but Kokoro would no doubt catch on to the act he just put on. A little bit of alcohol wouldn't kill him, but he had to be careful. Too much and it could impair his ability to shoot.

He smirked at her tease, listening to her reasoning to be here. She was looking for someone. Who, he didn't know, but he knew enough about her that he understood the signs. It was a question that plagued him since that night they had together: who was she, exactly? He wasn't forthcoming with information, either, but it was odd to find a fellow nomad and one that had a drive to boot. Which made him hesitate at the question as he took a real sip from his bottle. There was a lot he liked about Kokoro, but if there was one thing about this situation that he dreaded it was the "what if" in the event he had to bring her in.

"Makes two of us when it comes to business," he says, glancing at someone with a giant claw arm near the back of the room. He was dodging the question, making time. Did he dig into her? There was no way she was connected to the man he was investigating, and in using it he'd be violating her privacy-

The door opened, and a wiry man walked through. He was a lot shorter than Mark expected, but this was the guy: Sieve. Slicked back hair, average build, and two beady eyes that seemed unfocused and distant. He came through the front door, which told Mark he was unconcerned who saw him come and go. This place was familiar to him. Not enough to draw conclusions, though.

"If there was one place in the world you would want to go, strictly for fun, where would it be?" It was more beating around the bush, but Mark was now in a precarious situation. He was pretty sure the bartender was listening in on them, and he wasn't exactly acting the most natural.

Kokoro

[Kokoro]

She took her own drink, smiling. ''That's what I had hoped.'' She tipped it up too, taking a small sip. Not because she was afraid of getting drunk, or how alcohol would affect her ability to fight if she had to, but simply because she wanted to pace herself. Much like Mark, she was suspecting that this place wasn't entirely safe. Hence, why she had come armed. ''I see.'' She giggled, raising her glass. ''Would you believe me if I said you were my business? I saw a fortune teller earlier today and she told me I was fated to meet a very special person here.'' She teased again, taking another sip of her drink.

The guy with the claw arm in the back, she would hate to have to take him on, but if it came down to it... Her attention was grabbed by Sieve as he came into the room. That was the guy she needed to ask, but how was she going to get the opportunity to when Mark was right there? Should she just bite the bullet and ask anyway? It wasn't like she hadn't already made herself extremely suspicious, and technically what she was doing wasn't illegal... Yet.

''For fun?'' She smiled, mulling it over for a moment. ''Mark...'' She let out a small chuckle. ''You're asking me if there's anywhere I would like to go for fun, when I'm already in the company of someone I enjoy.'' She masked her glancing towards the back, at the claw guy as a shrug. ''I can't think of anywhere. Not for fun, strictly. Your place, perhaps?'' She reached out to hold Mark's hand and leaned in close, using it as an opportunity to whisper a question to him. ''You're armed, right?'' She made sure to keep a hand on her swords. ''Things could go bad very soon. You should run.'' She gave him a peck on the cheek before leaning away again, standing up from her seat.

''I've been looking to talk to you.'' She asked Sieve directly. ''What do you know about the Projects? What is Koi?'' They were absolute wildcard questions, but she hadn't gotten anywhere in the last few days. ''Who killed Akai the Iron Hand?''

lonewolf

[lonewolf]

Damn, this girl had a good habit of pushing all the right buttons. It was almost like he was looking in a mirror. Her flirtations were enough that he wanted to abandon his current job and get her back to his place pronto. Unfortunately, if there was one thing he prided himself on, it was his professionalism. Which he had promptly thrown away the moment he saw her walk in. God, why did he have to be in such a precarious position?

That said, the moment she leaned in and asked him if he was armed, he tensed up. "What are you planning Koko- wait!" he reached over to try and stop her from getting up and talking with the suspect, but he was a tad too late. She was up and confronting him. He let out a sigh, taking a sip of beer. Alright, this is not how I intended things to go. How do I handle this? The moment he decided to step into this bar he had shot himself in the foot. He wasn't here to make an arrest, or even directly gather intel. His presence put a huge wrench into this investigation, and to make matters worse when Iphi found out she'd rake him over the coals. For now, though, he had to keep Kokoro from doing something stupid.

Her questions did pique his curiosity, and he slowly let his hand rest against his hip. The Carry was comfortably holstered, and he was waiting to see what happened. Sieve stopped, turning to look at Kokoro. That dead expression he had slowly began to smolder, his face barely changing. "Those are quite a lot of questions. And your manner is incredibly rude. I'd leave if I were you."

Kokoro

[Kokoro]

She felt bad for dragging Mark into her mess, but she really hadn't expected him to show up here tonight. She knew this place was shady, but she didn't know that the heroes already had their eyes on it. In any case, she acted rashly and asked the questions she was hoping to get answers for. Wherever this led after the fact, if her and Mark made it out of here she would have some explaining to do. Hopefully not down by the police station.

Unfortunately it seemed like she had taken a risk for nothing, as Sieve effectively told her to buzz off. She could understand not knowing about Koi, or the Projects, but Akai? Either this guy genuinely didn't know, or he was hiding something. He had to be, right? She wanted to look over her shoulder at Mark. What did he think? What should she do next? She had no qualms about starting a brawl if it was just her, but she wasn't going to take a life in front of him. She couldn't do that to him or herself. ''My apologies, I didn't take you for an amateur.'' She said it with a smirk like she was catching up with a friend. ''Akai the Iron Hand, he was murdered two years ago.'' She kept walking towards Sieve, showing that she was not backing down. ''He was an information broker.'' She drew her swords slowly, wielding both at the same time. She could always hit this guy or any of his underlings with the back of her swords so they wouldn't get cut up. ''And my friend.'' She looked over her shoulder at Mark, wanting to apologize, but she refrained from saying anything to avoid blowing his cover.

''I came here looking for answers. I'm not leaving.''

lonewolf

[lonewolf]

The air in the bar was becoming thick with tension. Even the bartender was reaching under the bar to grab hold of something, and Mark was certain that it was some kind of weapon. He set his bottle down, hand reaching into his jacket while the tell-tale click of a revolver made the bartender freeze. "You might want to stay out of this," he says, his voice low.

Sieve regarded Kokoro, reaching into his pocket to remove a pair of gloves. "I see. Then you will soon share something in common with him." As he put them on people around the room began to stand up. One or two had weapons, others like the man with the claw had obvious menacing mutations, a few others just looked rough. "Your boyfriend will share the same fate. You had the opportunity to leave."

Mark took in a deep breath, slowly letting out a sigh. If there was one thing he was getting more and more accustomed to while in Japan, it was fighting. What happened to just gathering intel, drawing the noose around a scumbag, and then trapping him? He never thought he'd say this, but he missed those days. Looking back over at the bartender, Mark picked up his bottle and looked it over. "Think you can put this on my tab? Hers, too. I'll be by to take care of the bill later, promise." And not the first time as in a single motion he threw the bottle at the closest combatant, drawing his big iron and putting a round into the clawman's...well, claw. While not the biggest threat, at the very least the shot would cause him to retreat to deal with the wound. Unfortunately, Mark's action cause the whole room to begin to move...

Kokoro

[Kokoro]

She took note of Sieve removing his gloves, was that related to his quirk? She could only assume so if she wanted to remain cautious. ''You think? That would be pretty funny, if after everything that's happened I died in a place like this.'' She let out a hearty chuckle, still completely unphased by the situation she had gotten herself and Mark into. ''My boyfriend?'' She looked over her shoulder at Mark, before looking back at Sieve. ''If only I was so lucky! Do you think I have a shot after all? ~'' She mused to herself.

She glanced up at the roof, being mindful of how much room she would have to maneuver around. Once Mark set everything into motion she dashed straight for Sieve, hoping to dodge and weave around his lackeys to get a swing in on him, while still keeping a respectable distance in case he had a touch-based quirk. If she had been smarter, she would have tried to move the fight outside so her quirk application wouldn't have been so limited. Then again, things were different this time. For one, Mark had her back, and usually no one did. It was pretty presumptuous of her to assume he would help her, but she knew that the hero types were reliable in the end. That's the one thing she could always trust in a hero to be, especially someone like him who she had gotten to know.

Weirdly, as scary and dangerous as the situation was, all she could think about was how she could make it up to him later.

lonewolf

[lonewolf]

If there was one bright side to this situation, is that Mark didn't have to arrest anyone tonight. That was not his intent, and with his low profile he was sure that he wouldn't spook this gang. Assuming he got out, that was.

The bartender, with a loaded gun not pointed at him, brought out a stun stick and managed to hit Mark in the back of the neck with it. The effort to stay on his feet was not high enough, nor was it enough to keep two goons from piling on top of him, one attempting to pry the gun from his fingers and the other reaching up to deliver a few blows to the side of his head. Both of these were bad, and Mark had to act fast. With his free hand he jabbed up at the guy directly above him, poking him right in the eye. With the stunning strike completed he managed to get out the Carry, unleashing a few salt rounds at the other and squirming free. Of course, this was not going to be easy.

Meanwhile, Sieve would take a few steps back as Kokoro advanced on him, one of the guys with a bat coming in to attempt to knock her down, but he wasn't exactly the greatest of sluggers. Sieve brought his hands together, a strange web of energy forming between his hands. It was hard to see in the dim light, but the smell of ozone said it all; this stuff was hot. Stretching it out he was looking for an opening to deal with her.

Kokoro

[Kokoro]

She could only trust that Mark could hold his own as she advanced on Sieve, but when the bat guy got in her way she ducked under his bat and redirected her strike to him, attempting to smack him in the face with the dull side of her blade. As much as she wanted to go back and help Mark, she also knew she couldn't leave Sieve unattended, especially given whatever power he was using. She hadn't figured out exactly what it was yet, but whatever it was she couldn't let it get near Mark. The smell of ozone was enough to make her hesitate and reevaluate her approach.

She hadn't wanted to use her power this soon, but...

Hopefully Mark could forgive her for all of this.

Forming clouds under her feet, Kokoro took off, leaping high into the air, hopefully avoiding Sieve's ozone nightmare, before redirecting her trajectory by double jumping from midair, zooming and descending down onto Sieve as she tried to close the gap. If she got within striking distance of him she would similarly try to hit him with the blunt side of her swords. ''If you've got some more dating advice I'm all ears. I haven't dated anyone for quite a while you see, so I'm pretty rusty.'' Despite their situation she still talked like her and Sieve were old friends.

However, there was a serious tone shift to her voice with what she said next. ''If you let him go, I'll surrender.''

lonewolf

[lonewolf]

The bartender had come around with the stun baton, intending to hid Mark with it again once he was up. Unfortunately for him, Mark was faster on the draw, and with two bullets subdued the man. The first came from Wayward Son, shooting the baton out of his hand. The second came from the Carry, delivering a load of rock salt to the man's face. With that Mark turned, holstering the big iron as he started to replace the Carry's magazine with a different load while also avoiding another thug.

Sieve followed Kokoro's movements, the bat welding guy going down without much more fight. he dragged out the net a little more, looking like he had an opportunity, but as she double-jumped away the attempt to throw the net out to nab her foot failed. Upon getting hit, he would stagger and turn, attempting to wrap the netting around one of her swords, an action that would burn through the blade. "You're both too much trouble. Better to kill you now and hide your bodies than to expect trouble in the near future." He took a step forward, beginning to swing the net around and create enough length to create a rudimentary lasso, only for his body to tighten up and the net vanish after one of Mark's shots.

"Babe, we've got to go!" With the number of goons closing in Mark was anticipating a very rough night. Not just evading these guys, but putting Kokoro through an unpleasant grilling session. If she let him, he'd take her by the hand and begin pulling her towards the door, looking to make it out as unscathed as possible.

Kokoro