"No, no, don't. That sort of dedication is more than what I'd look for in a pupil. The martial arts are just that: arts. They are meant to be taken in and adjusted with one's own personal touch. It will be an honor to see you in class."

Aaron gave a wide smile before before finishing, "Now, I must be locking up for the night. Oh, and the next time you see your friend Lucas, please do mention that you're going to be a member of my dojo."

He smiles a little at that, he had some work to do and some things to pick up.  He thinks it over, there were plenty of places for him to go.  He was going to need parts and he still didn't like the whole idea of buying stuff.  Too easy to trace if things get stolen after all.  But if the item is already stolen, well who are the 'bad guys' going to go to except other bad guys.  And even then, no honor among thieves, it'd be a while till they could get things organized.

Setting the boken back where Aaron had taken it from he gives a slow nod.

"Of course, and I will do that.  He will understand I'm sure."

He'd also need his help aquiring some of the items.  He was pretty good in a fight himself, if he had control and the element of surprise.  But he wasn't as skilled at fighting as the others and he was still very squishy.

"I guess bring my check to the first lesson then?"

He asks as he and presumably Aaron head out of the dojo so he can lock up.

OOC: Actually, Aaron locks up from the inside, his abode is the apartment above the dojo.

With a nod, Aaron says, "Yes, that'll do. Look forward to seeing you in our next lesson!"

Locking up after Hotwire has left, Aaron headed upstairs to his apartment, showering before he looked over his wardrobe. Night was approaching... Pulling his "costume" out of the closet, he slipped it on and equipped himself.

Stretching, he recited his mantra: "I am the black void. I am the cold steel. I am the just sword. With blade in hand shall I reap the sins of this world, and cleanse it with the blood of the guilty. I am Shadowstrike. Penance has come."

With that, he opened the window leading to the alley behind his dojo, focused his ki to his legs, and lept to the building across.

> To Rooftops >
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:47, Fri 13 Nov 2009.

Psyche, now Katy all dressed up (putting make-up on was so much easier with good ol' TK) in a black dress that fell down just below her knees. Matching heels were off to the side, laying rather unceremoniously on the sidewalk next to the mat in front of the door. Katy, sitting Indian style, her eyes closed, was meditating. Out of all the things Aaron had taught her, this was the one that helped focus her powers, and ultimately further her Psyche.

"Aoooohmmmmmm," she repeated again, her patience more than tripled as she waited for Aaron to open up.

Cursing under his breath as he came inside and saw the time, Aaron stripped himself of his ninja gear, throwing it unceremoniously in a pile on his bed. After a quick shower and shave, he dressed himself in a nice black suit, deciding not to fumble with a tie. With a squirt of cologne, he was ready, if weary.

Trouncing down the stairs, he was about to open the front door when he noticed a meditating Katy on the stoop. Wincing as he glanced at the clock again, Aaron slowly opened the door and gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that... I had some, er, unforeseen distractions..."

Katy opened her eyes slowly, as if coming out of a trance. She looked up at Aaron, and smiled brightly, getting up and grabbing her heels. Using Aaron as support, Katy began putting them on, while simultaneously talking to him. "'s no big deal. You keep telling me I need to meditate, so I figured while I was waiting, why not?! I'm going to hate these heels..." She trailed off on other meaningless babble till she got her heels on, then put her now-heeled feet on the ground, took Aaron's hand, and began to step down the stoop.

"So, we're heading to...Versuezi's? I kind of...forgot where it was. D'you remember?"

"Hmm..." Aaron said, his brow creasing in concentration. "I'm fairly sure, but if we get lost, it's my fault. I remember you mentioning something about another couple? Are they going to meet us there, or were they unable to make it?"

Katy smiled, chuckling quietly. "They're going to meet us at the restaurant. Have you ever heard of Lucas, the guy who runs Dragon and Tiger? A Friend of mine, Friday, is bringing him," she said as they began walking down the street.

Mentally, Katy called out to Friday.

Hey, Friday! We're headin' to Versuezzi's. You gonna join us, or do I have to drag you and Lucas there?

Aaron's eyes widened in pleasant surprise when Katy mentioned Lucas. "Know him? Of course I do... our dojos have a bit of a... rivalry, so to speak. It's nothing fierce, of course. Boys will be boys and all that, you understand. It will be a pleasure to finally meet the woman he's talked about."

Something was nagging Aaron at the back of his mind. There was absolutely no doubt about it; Katy was the woman he had seen at the Bertelli's. But he knew he couldn't say anything, as it would compromise Shadowstrike's identity. Hopefully, she didn't recognize him...

Katy giggled just the tiniest bit, and said: "Shall we head then, Aaron?" She began walking alongside him to Versuezzi's, her mind flicking through the several scenarios that could have went down. She knew there would definitely be some teasing, knowing both Friday and Lucas.

"Oh, and Aaron? This is the first time I've actually...erm, showed up in front of my friends with a man. Please, don't be offended if they tease just a little bit," she said.

-->Versuezzi's

"Don't worry," Aaron said with a chuckle. "With Lucas and I together, there won't be time for him to say anything about you."

>>> Versuezzi's >>>
This message was last edited by the player at 18:18, Mon 28 Dec 2009.

>>>>>>>>>From The Rooftops>>>>>>>>>

Lucas retracted the armor in an alleyway not far from the dojo. He looked around for a moment, noticing that the dojo had been....abandoned?

That didn't sound like Aaron. What happened to him? Unless Oni managed to use the most obscure connections in his life against him? That would be a switch.

It wasn't like Aaron Tanaka to just up and leave town though. He had been a fierce rival, both as a businessman and as a fellow martial artist. But they were, to some extent, friends. There had to be something more as to why the Tanaka Dojo had suddenly shut down.

But that mystery would have to wait. At least for the moment. Lucas then began to search around the area of the dojo to see if he could find signs of anything that might be amiss.

Lucas continued to look around the dojo. There were no signs of foul play, no signs of a struggle. And Lucas knew that Aaron Tanaka was a VERY well trained martial artist. If he did disappear...it was either under his own terms...

...or something that was equally frightening....Aaron may have met up with someone who was better than he was, and may have been defeated.

Lucas shook his head. The mystery of what happened to Aaron Tanaka would have to wait. But only for the moment. Now....he had to go and obtain a tuxedo. Or at least get measured for one.

>>>>>>>>>>To Weston Mall>>>>>>>>>>>

The mysterious man known as Shadowstrike watched and waited. The murders of the Bertellis had, for the most part, went unavenged. No Mob power vacuum...no open gang warfare. Things were quiet...too quiet.

Then the buffoon known as Dragon Fist went snooping around the dojo. Shadowstrike knew that he would never see eye to eye with the hero who wore the armor of a Dragon, and perhaps there may be a confrontation between the two. He hoped not too soon, at least for the moment.

No...there were scum to be dealt with tonight. Scum that needed to be cleansed. And Shadowstrike would be the one to do it.

Once again donning the uniform, Shadowstrike soon would become known to Weston's criminal element once again, for the merciless justice he meted out.

There were rumors of a new and upcoming street tough rumbling. Shadowstrike would just have to see this sight for himself.

>>>>>>>>To The Streets>>>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>>From The Streets>>>>>>>>>>>

Shadowstrike soon returned to the dojo without any issues. The blood of the guilty had been shed as several of the various street toughs and drug dealers met their demise by the hand of his blade.

Something was horribly wrong. Katy was missing. She was out there. Somewhere. She seemed to appear for brief moments in where he thought he saw her. But those turned out to be nothing more than apparitions. Illusions and mirages that he wished were real.

He soon began to kneel in a meditative stance, and closed his eyes and focused himself. But he soon felt another presence in the room with him. Several, in fact.

Opening his eyes, he looked around. No one else was here. No one that he could see anyway. But the chill of the presence was still there.

Soon, manifestations of ethereal samurai warriors numbering four surrounded him. Drawing out their ghostly katanas, they all had a stern expression on their phantasmal faces.

"Say it! Say it! Recite your oath!" one of them called aloud. "Reaffirm your commitment!"

He soon pulled his mask over his nose and mouth, and closing his eyes, recited "I am the black void. I am the cold steel. I am the just sword. With blade in hand shall I reap the sins of this world, and cleanse it with the blood of the guilty. I am Shadowstrike. Penance has come."

The ghostly samurai bowed, then seemed to dissipate. The great spiritual presence that had inhabited the dojo now left, leaving nothing but eerie silence in its wake.

>>>>Timeskip>>>>>>>>

Aaron had spent most of the night in solitary meditation, as he contemplated the visit by the spirits he had encountered earlier. Reaffirming his mantra, being baptized in the blood of the guilty, it all had felt right.

And no doubt, this night would bring the baptism of more blood. The blood of the guilty who oppressed the innocent. And it seemed that new bloodshedders had arrived in Weston.

The Yakuza.

They creeped in like a shadow in the darkness, with their unique methods and rites. They would surely bring ruin to Weston if left unchecked. The fools of the Legacy were too busy dealing with "super villains" to even care about a development such as this.

No...this deserved the steady, unflinching hand of the one known as Shadowstrike. And his hand...with the blade...they would receive.

Shaking his head, Aaron briefly looked out into the Weston streets, surveying the city he had sworn to protect. From itself.

Aaron then went back and began to practice with his boken. Focusing his thoughts, he soon put himself into a near trancelike state. Where he could see and feel nothing except for his own energy. Becoming one with the weapon he held.

Something was on the horizon. Something bad. And it was coming soon. A darkness like no one could even fathom or imagine.

And so Shadowstrike would prepare to fight and defeat this darkness. By any means necessary.

As Aaron continued to meditate on the possible coming darkness, he was visited once again. Only this time, it was one ethereal being that came to visit him. The being appeared to wear a white kimono, had long, dark unkempt hair, and white facial makeup, almost like a kabuki actor. Above his right eye was the kanji of "Heaven" or Ten, tattoed in red. This being could only be interpreted as an Onryo. The Japanese Spirit of Vengeance.

"Aaron Tanaka....known to the world as Shadowstrike...you have been chosen as the representation of Vengeance. Vengeance will pick up where Justice has failed, and make things right. The blood you shed will be the blood of the guilty. Those who put themselves above the law."

Aaron nodded, and the Onryo smiled, satisfied that Shadowstrike now accepted this burden. He was merely doing what he had always done, only now with a sort of supernatural endorsement.

>>>>>>>>To The Rooftops>>>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>From The Rooftops>>>>>>>>

Shadowstrike was one with the night as he made his way back to parts familiar: the Tanaka Dojo.

Making his way through the access point, he removed his mask. What he found tonight was troubling. The Yakuza were in Weston, and even Shadowstrike himself might not be able to stop him. No, they were being driven by a force..a force that he had never seen before.

But this was his burden. And his alone, for now. He needed to learn more about his enemy.

And so he went to his laptop, and began to search for information on The Yakuza. As for the mysterious force behind them, that was something he could not find out through a website. He would need to seek out the various magicians who called themselves "heroes."

Aaron had a few "outside sources" when it came to searching for the Yakuza. Their foot soldiers were extremely loyal, even to the point of death. They wore the tattoo of oni on their backs. But they usually didn't have any sort of supernatural characteristics. And that's the part that troubled him.

Someone...or some THING...was assisting them. To what end, no one knew yet. But he could be sure that as the foot soldiers were making their way here, so too were probably the Yakuza's most dangerous assassins.

And that usually meant NINJAS. Long-thought myths, now becoming an all too dangerous fact.

Aaron's trained hearing soon picked up on several footsteps that could be heard throughout the dojo. These steps would not have been heard by anyone else, but Aaron was no mere sensei. He stood to his feet, minimizing the browser on his laptop, and grabbed a wooden bokken. Only ninjas could be this sneaky.

"Come out and show yourselves and I promise to make your defeat quick. If you persist in toying with me, you will be in for a lesson in pain."
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:17, Thu 03 Nov 2011.

The ninjas didn't come out immediately. It seemed that they had opted for the lessson in pain.

Aaron's eyes narrowed as a ninja dressed in black came out. This one was trying to throw his attention off while the other one flanked him from behind.

It would not work.

Taking his bokken, Aaron sidestepped his adversary as he came out, levying a blow to the ninja behind him, instantly rendering him unconscious. In the same fluid motion, he brought forth his bokken to his oncoming adversary, doing the same to him.

Crouching in a defensive position, Aaron looked around the dojo. All was silent. Eerily so.

Suddenly, the ninjas bodies began to smoke around, with the smoke turning into a clear vapor, and their bodies were completely gone. Either they were dead or not really there in the first place.

Satisfied that he had dispensed with this latest annoyance, Aaron put the bokken away.

As the ninja seemed to disperse, Aaron found himself seeing things in a more unique light. As the smoke that was once the essence of the ninja floated away, Aaron could distinctly see the life energy...their chi....floating as well, and in the center of each of the smoky forms, he could see what appeared to be a snake.