CHASING ADVANCEMENT 3 [IV] (Ch. 147)
DAYS PRIOR
The reconnaissance team had spent the week prior observing the target. For the target in case there could be no mistakes, after days of observation, a day way decided.
"We strike Tomorrow" the statement comes from the person in familiar MURAKAN all black combatant gear, one of their 'fakes'.
"How do we assist?" Laura inquire,
"For now, you stay out of our business, your job is getting your forces in through the borders. I'll have one of my subordinates guide you to a suitable resting location" he replies,
"Very well" Laura responds turning away with Matteo following closely behind her.
A safe distance away Matteo raises his voice,
"Do you believe they can be trusted?" He questions,
"No" Laura responds,
"Then why?" He questions further,
"Mutual benefits" she replies curtly,
"C'mon sis, i know you have a bigger plan in store" He pesters further,
(He does know me well) she muse, nevertheless after seconds of silent movement Matteo came to the realisation that she would say no more.
DAYS PRIOR
"Are you sure about this?" Leonardo question staring at the brown short haired man with a heavy mustache,
"This is for the best" Sebastian who's currently disguised replies, currently the two make their way to neutral ground, the state closest to Zagreb, Istarskar, there Evelyine and another Shifter from the SYNDICATE would meet the two to execute Konan's plan. The hour's to Istarskar's city center blurred together, the bullet train blurring past visible scenery, eventually the city center came, they'd arrived at their stop. Both exited, finding somewhere private down a buildings alley before empowering themselves and bluring to their destination, hour's still before large swats of untouched wild lands bordering the forests along the highway roads, there the stark white hair contrasts heavily against the forest green.
"Why here?" Sebastian questions upon arriving, not a sign of fatigue on either he or Leonardo, behind and to the right of Evelyine is a petite woman in a free dress with floral patterns and a sun hat.
"Rai, meet Sebastian, and you must be leonardo" She concludes turning her predator gaze on him as the latters breath,
"Aunty you're going to kill the boy" Rai chastises in a flat tone,
"Forgive me" Evelyine replies with a devilish smile, "let's get this done quickly" she follows, Rai steps forward, summoning a staff into her hands, Sebastian and Leonardo quickly recognise it as a Artifact, a relic maybe but cannot decipher it's origins from its plain visage. A coalesce of ambient 'Force' gathers withing the wooden staffs head, three branch like offshoots from the staff forming a dome with an empty center, in that center us where the spinning 'Force' sat,
"Come" Rai calls to Leonardo, without hesitation he steps forward, "don't fight it, and make sure not to wash it away while in battle, this is the only way we'll find you" she states,
"So i take it as me being bait" Leonardo replies,
"More like our living GPS tracker" he grins,
"And our deal?" He questions further,
"We'll keep our word" Evelyine replies, "safe advancement to ZONE and the resources to create your force and grow" she reiterated,
"Very well" he nods allowing hia body accept the foreign imprinted 'Force' into him going further as to trap it with a sphere, (better safe than sorry),
"Done, the rest is up to you" Evelyine states picking Rai like a bride with the girl protesting as she blurs from sight, to fast for either to track,
"C'mon, let's get you back to Zagreb" Sebastian states bluring into the night with Leonardo in tow.
As strategized by Konan Leonardo wanders around Zagreb's suburbs, his 'goal' to subdue several of the gangs around thr area while waiting guardedly for the assault to commence,
(C'mon...attack me!) he repeats incessantly, he'd rather have this done and taken care of, his legs finally take him down the now desolate suburban area, the place housed little residents due to it being the central hub of the crew that once ruled the state, CERBERUS.
Leonardo glances to his watch with growing irritation,
(Just fucking come at me already would you!) He bellows. Silence. Not a single sound in reply then again, given the uncanny nature of the silence that itself could count as a reply, Leonardo's senses flare igniting his 'Force' arts he blurs aside, his torso leaning back as a lance decimates the building to his side, the weapon itself crumbling to dust, it's material unable to withstand the pressure. Leonardo whirls facing the attacker who comes into sight,
"Well i'll be..." He swears, before him a dozen ATTUNEMENT level Shifters, behind the a pressure he'd been long familiar with,
(ZONE!) His mind screams, immediately he abandons thought of combat, for even despite his battle frenzy, survival kicks in, waisting no time he puts on the show required to signify defiance, lightning cracked upon and around him, his fist cocks back to let fly, he does. Thunder surges lighting the night in flickers of light, the dozen ATTUNEMENT level combatants had given space, non bothering to engage as they formed an encirclement, the ZONE advancement level Shifter stepping to the fore,
"Surrender" he states simply, in reply leonardo surges his 'Force' still and even more, his leg whipping viciously at the man from distance, the wave of 'Force' sunders it's path to the ma. Crashing against his frame, or did it?, Another look shows the attack to have hit some sort of a barrier inches from the man's body, his suit left undamaged, still Leonardo shows no intent on backing down, for him this was yet another opportunity, one to advance!, So he blurred, meeting his opponents in close combat, the Conceptualisation of his Relic: Járngreipr, the gauntlets mimicked by his 'Force' imprinted by the real relics nature allowed him behold a glimpse of their power as his fist crashed into his opponents sword. Nevertheless the middle aged man took no stance, with his frame erect his fore arm bore the strain as his katana's blade found Leonardo's fist with every swing, thunder and steel clashing dozens of times per second, one with the ferocity of a raging lion the other exercising upon the other the futility of resistance, again they clashes again lightning flew again Leonardo was beating back, his face crumpling into a mix of anger and frustration upon realising that his opponent had not moved an inch,
"Surrender" came the mans words again, this time Leonardo replied by pulling on all his reserves, if he would fall, he would do it a kings way, with his pseudo Domain and conceptualisation still active, he centered his Striker technique, and gave a Lion's roar as 'Force' payed heed to his call, a lightning wave ensues and in reply the man as if to show respect took a stance, his blade vibrating under the strain of pressure from his imprinted 'Force' and he swung against the physical manifestation of the thunder which came in form of a giant lightning bolt, and tore through it the residual energy ravaging the area around the two as the dozen gave space. The man's sword disintegrates into powder, quickly another was provided for him by one of the dozen ATTUNEMENT Shifters with him, in response he raised his hand to signal a 'no', his opponent had fallen, and indeed Leonardo was on a knee, his chest heaving to grasp for air, he knew, this fight was over,or more importantly, the 'act' was over.