Serious: Meeting on Io Island (Closed)

Kyle reacted quickly. He reached over towards the wall and tore out a huge chunk of it. This was an impressive feat, considering that the entire warehouse was made of metal. Then he held the piece of metal up in front of him like a shield. The knives struck the makeshift shield and the shield held. Kyle took a step back and pulled back the piece of metal before swinging it like a club.

Meanwhile, Derek was trying to crawl away, but failed, falling unconscious where he lay.

Stan managed to narrowly jump back and dodge a swing of Kyle's metal chunk, and counterattacked only to be blocked by the metal once again, before leaping away to make some distance. "This is going to be a hassel, shame that Nick bloke isn't around. well, time to fight a bit tougher." Stan complained, before feinting a stab towards Kyle before twrling round trying to stab with his other hand, which was yet again blocked. Then Stan did something unusual, he wedged the knife into the metal enough so he could then lift himself up and stand upside down on it by his gripping hand, and quickly tried to plant a kick into Kyle's head, this time with heel flick knife heading for the top of his skull.

(Speaking of Nick…)

Kyle saw the oncoming foot and fell backwards, swinging the makeshift shield over his head and throwing both it and Stan away from him.

About this time Nick was rounding the corner behind Stan to see what was happening. Fortunately for Nick, he wasn’t in the flight path of the wayward shield.

“That’s…Kyle!” Nick realized. “Looks like that other bounty hunter found him first…I was really hoping to avoid fighting over a bounty…”

Stan hit the wall with deafening bang, his knife still wedged in the make shift shield, leaving cracks on the wall he was thrown against. He then fell into a crumpled heap on the floor before once again slowly picking himself up and then tried to remove the knife from the shield, only to bring it up up with the knife when he tried to pull it free. Stan sighed, "Another hassel, now I have to use this as some stupid shield, well seems like its just hassel after hassel today." He then yawned, dropping the knife in his mouth, and streched his arms a bit, which he noticed one of them brushed against something. Sheepishly turning to see what it was, he saw Nick with Stan's arm leaning on his head. "Oh it's you," He commented sheepishly, "Did you make all that noise earlyier? And do you stilll want to split the bounty even though it's such a hassel?" he then asked, before placing his held knife in his hand and bending over to pick up the one he dropped.

Nick just stared at Stan, a confused expression on his face. Noise? What noise? Oooooh...he must have meant the grenade.

"Yeah...probably," Nick said. "I mean about the noise, not the bounty." He looked away from Stan at Kyle. "What's taking so long with this guy?" he asked. "He's just one punk, but he looks like he's beating you. Just take him out." With those words, Nick whipped out a pistol and fired three shots into Kyle gut. As the big man doubled over, Nick looked back at Stan. "See? No big de-" Nick heard a ripping sound and he turned just in time to see Kyle, who had torn another chunk of metal from the wall, fling the piece of metal at him. There was no time to dodge as the piece of metal struck Nick's chest, hurling him back into the wall behind him. An audible snapping sound could be heard as Nick slid down the ground. He winced. It felt like a rib had been broken. Suddenly splitting the bounty didn't sound so bad.

Stan stared at Nick sheepishly before carefully saying; "I'll let you think about it first, it's a hassel but we'd better beat up the target first, though you could lie down for a bit even though that's also such a hassel." He then ran straight towards Kyle holding up the make-shoft shield stuck on his knife, intending on using it like a battering ram, wobbling slightly under its weight.

Kyle caught the edges of the shield with his hands, but the force behind the rush drove him backwards. Kyle dug in his heels and brought himself to a halt. He grunted from the effort and glared up at Stan. This was a disconcerting feeling for Kyle. He was used to being taller than everyone else.

Nick pulled himself to his feet, his legs shaking. He wasn’t going to just sit around and watch the fight. The young bounty hunter drew out his second pistol, the first having been lost when he was hit, and he ran forward, forcing himself to ignore the bolt of pain that lanced through his chest. He jumped at Stan’s back, planted his feet on the taller bounty hunter’s shoulders, and flipped over both Stan and Kyle. He fell, upside down, behind Kyle’s back and fired point blank into Kyle’s back. Once again, the larger man flinched, but this time it cost him. With Stan pushing from the front, Kyle lost his balance and he tumbled backwards, almost falling on Nick, who saw the danger and rolled out of the way.

Watching Nick sheepishly knock the enemy down, Stan managed to yank his kinfe out the shield and quickly sat right in front of Kyles head, holding the knife directly above his eye. He slowly turned his head to nick and said; "That made things a lot less of a hassel, this means you're going fifty fifty with the bounty right? just nod for a yes its a lot less hassel." He then stared blankly at Kyle and simply stated; "Cause hassel, and were taking you in dead."

Nick nodded wearily. There was no reason to argue the point. Not anymore. Now he was more interested in knowing how Kyle could be hit by so many bullets and still be standing. He certainly didn't look like he was bleeding.

Kyle, however, did not comply with Stan’s directions. His fists shot out simultaneously, trying to hammer Stan in the gut.

Stan gave lob sided smile at Nick, before being sent into the celling and rebounding back down from it by Kyles suprise attack. "Owch, pain is such a hassle, what couldn't you just come along quietly?" He complained, attempting to slash Kyle's feet with his mouth knife from and hand knives from where he lay, wincing through the pain.

Kyle let out a cry of pain as the knives cut through his boots and into his feet, but he pulled his legs back and sprang to his feet anyway. “NO! I WILL NOT SURRENDER!” Kyle roared.

“Ugh…” Nick stood back up to face Kyle, one hand clutching his side. “This is really not looking good…so…” He raised his gun and this time he pointed it at Kyle’s head. However, the pain in his chest made his vision swim and his arm shook. “Can’t get a lock on him,” Nick thought to himself.

Kyle saw what Nick was trying to do and he rushed him, moving at a speed that belied his size. He slapped the gun out of Nick’s hand and tried to punch his face. Nick instinctively ducked and the punch went over his head. The young bounty hunter’s training kicked in and he turned himself around before reaching up and grabbing Kyle by his arm with one hand and by the front of his shirt with the other. Nick pulled Kyle forward and flipped the larger man over his head and into the wall in front of him. Kyle lay there, momentarily stunned. As Nick took a step back to get some distance, he frowned.

“When I grabbed his shirt I felt something…hard,” Nick thought. “Either his abs are like rocks or…” Realization hit Nick and he groaned. “…or he’s wearing a flak jacket. Wonderful. Why didn’t I shoot him in the head when I had the chance?”

Stan stared blankly before saying; "I can see why he's got a bounty." He then got up on his heet and streched into a star jump postiona again. He turned his head to Nick to briefly say; "I promise I'll leave him recogniseable." , before rolling towards Kyle annoucncing his move once more, "Five- Knife Style: Killer Cartwheel!"

Kyle was still shaking off the effects of being tossed through the air when Stan rolled towards him. There was no time for the red-haired man to even think of dodging. Stan’s blades cut into him and he fell back to the ground, his face twisting into an expression of pain.

Nick winced. This was why he preferred his guns. They were quick, to the point, and didn’t make too much of a mess if used properly.

Stans span round a few more times, leaving wounds in Kyles back after managing to slice his way through his flak jacket. Suddenly, stand rolled back a bit and stopped spinning, he then stood normaly before stubbling all over the place "What a hassel, I'm way too dizzy! Eh, dosen't matter now, Kyles and easy target, it's a hassel but I don't suppose you have anything to tie him up with?" Stan mumbled at Nick, before walking smack bang into a wall and the pucking from his distoriation on his own shoes. "Now that is a huge hassel." Stan stated grumpily.

"Tie him up?" Nick asked. "No, I don't have anything for that. Though that's a good idea." He pulled out a notebook and wrote something in it before putting it away again. "Hmmm...guess one of us'll have to carry him." He checked Kyle to make sure he was knocked out and then he slung one of Kyle's arms around his shoulders. He winced slightly when he did this. "Stupid broken rib," he muttered.

Stan tried to wipe his own sick from his shoes, and then gave up and just took them off and walked bare foot over to Nick. "Too much hassel to clean them, I'll just make new ones." Stan moaned, before putting away his knives and taking Kyle's other arm, lightly lightening the load. "Since your injured i'd better help carry the big bloke, even though it is a huge hassel." He stated simply, " Now which way is out again? It's way too much hassel to remember."

Nick sighed and rolled his eyes, but the tiniest of smiles appeared on his face for an instant before disappearing again. "My sense of direction is telling me that it is this way," he said, nodding on down one path. He started walking and at first, Nick didn't say anything. But then... "You know, I don't think I would have been able to beat this guy by myself," Nick admitted. "I mean, I probably could have if I had just shot him in the head first thing, but then..." He took a deep breath. "...what I'm trying to say is, thank you."

Stan looked to his 'partner' for a moment in confusion, following after him carefully. He then carefully replied; "I would of accepted your thanks and thanked you too, but it's a pretty big hassel." He then stood on an up tirned nail and hopped on foot after a yelp of pain, dropping Kyle. "Maybe it would of been less hassel to wear shoes." Stan grumbled, massaging his injured foot., before picking up Kyle again.

Nick sighed. “Would it be too much of a hassle to watch where you’re going?” he asked, just as they were stepping out of the claustrophobic hallway and into a larger room. The larger room had several men and women scattered throughout it. A few of them noticed the newcomers and they started towards them, but then they saw Kyle and they all froze.

“They beat him,” one of the men whispered. “They actually beat him.”

A few of the people in the group immediately turned and ran off. A couple of the braver few pulled out various weapons and pointed them at Nick and Stan. However, the majority stood stock still, the shock having not worn off yet.

Stan stared sheepishly at the ones who ran off and those who barely stood their ground. "This shouldn't be much hassel." Stan simply stated. He let go of Kyle and casually walked up to a few standing in their way and simply round-house kicked them, easily sending them to the floor groaning in pain. "See? Didn't even have to stab them." He yawned, after turning to Nick sheepishly, slowly going back to Kyle.

"Heh...yeah." Along with Stan, Nick dragged Kyle out of the warehouse. Once they were outside, Nick turned to Stan. "So...what are we going to do now? Do you have a boat we could take him too? I have one if you don't."

Stan thought deeply, and the decided; "I have a small rowing boat but it's way too much hassel to get to since it's out of town, so we'll use your's." He told his 'partner'. He then yawned sheepishly before adding. "Why do we need to put him on a boat?"

Nick blinked in surprise. "How else are we going to get him to a bounty office?" he asked. Then he paused and amended saying, "Well, my usual bounty office isn't on this island, in any case. I work with a group and I usually bring people to them. Besides, if there was a bounty office on this island, who's to say this idiot's partners wouldn't just storm the place and take him back as soon as we were gone? It wouldn't be our problem anymore, but still."

Stan merely shrugged at this and said bluntly; "As long as the bounty's no longer active it's never my problem, less hassel that way. I'm only in it for the money." He then yawened once again and scratched his chin, going on to say; "Though good point, wouldn't like the hassel of hunting him down again." He looked round for anything which which worked on water, before giving up and asking; "so which boats yours again?"

“Come on,” Nick said, maneuvering himself around to the front so that he could take the lead. He led Stan over to a decent sized boat, which had a cabin area on it, and he pulled Kyle up onto the vessel. “Welcome to the ‘Hound’.” Nick said.