Night 44: Main Hall, 2-Center

[should_be_dead]

[From here]By now, Tenzen had to switch on his flashlight to see where he was, considering he had never visited this area before. The beam of light, though small, would be more obvious than the ninja would like, but he'd choose that over traversing these halls aimlessly. After all, there were many directions upon the second floor

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[ruthless_hunter]

[from here]

Lockdown thought he recognized this area. He'd only gone through it on his first night here, after Starscream had sent him to fetch medical supplies. He still didn't believe the seeker had been stupid enough to try and break the door down with his foot.

Okay, now which way was the kitchen? Lockdown really didn't feel like trying to juggle his axe, flashlight, and map again.

Wait, there was someone here. Lockdown would just pry him for directions.

Approaching the dark-haired man, the bounty hunter barked, "You, which way's the kitchen?" As he got closer, he began to suspect that there was something familiar about this man, but Lockdown couldn't quite place how or why. Maybe he was one of those that he'd met already but had pushed his name and face from his processor already.

[should_be_dead]

Tenzen redirected his gaze as he noticed someone approach him. Another patient, hmm? It would seem he was not the only one who appeared to be early tonight.

The ninja's eyes still narrowed at the man, however. Tenzen usually wasn't too helpful to outsiders regardless, but the man's tone didn't quite help matters. He observed the man coldly for a moment before voicing his answer. He was armed, but that hardly threatened him.

"Oh? Are you lost?" he answered, his voice holding a small hint of a mocking tone. He couldn't help but think he had heard that voice before, but for now he couldn't quite place it.

[ruthless_hunter]

The mocking tone wasn't lost on Lockdown. So he had a jerkaft on his hands, huh? The bounty hunter could deal with jerkafts.

However, when the man spoke, that nagging feeling that Lockdown should know him came back. He knew that he'd seen this meatbag before, but where?

"Just tell me where it is," Lockdown ordered. He then smirked, "Unless you wanna start coughin' up blood." He pictured the dark-haired man brought to his knees, begging for mercy, and it made Lockdown smirk some more. However, as he formed that mental picture, he couldn't help but think that he'd actually seen something very, very similar when it came to this man. Was he one of..?

[should_be_dead]

Tenzen wasn't intimidated by the other man's behavior in the slightest. There were few things that could intimidate him, and such an empty threat certainly was not one of them. As if Yakushiji Tenzen, one of the ten Chosen Iga, would be brought to his knees by the likes of these. The mere idea was ridiculous! Who did this man think he was? He could not defeat him, much less truly kill him.

"Is it common to make empty threats over directions here?" Tenzen asked, his lips twisting into a small smirk. "Be gone! I do not have the time for your delusional nonsense."

Not that the ninja expected the other man to obey him.

[ruthless_hunter]

"Fine," Lockdown growled. Obviously this guy wasn't going to be very helpful. Jerkafts almost never were.

Right as he was about to turn and leave, something clicked in his processor. Now he had an idea of where and when he knew this meatbag. He was almost sure the guy was one of his victims from that night he'd gotten his real body back.

Oh, now he had an opportunity to jerk someone's chain. And Lockdown enjoyed jerking chains.

Smirking at the meatbag, Lockdown said, "Maybe I'll convince this Pithole to give me my real body back, so I can finish what I started that one night with you."

[should_be_dead]

And indeed, it appeared to be an empty treat. Tenzen was simply not that helpful unless it happened to suit his purposes, but this individual was being outright disrespectful.

Until the other voiced his comment, that is. That certainly caught the Iga ninja's attention. Granted, the voice sounded familiar. The ninja couldn't quite place it, but he couldn't recall meeting this man. Then again, he had mentioned 'real body'.

"Tell me, what are you talking about?"

[ruthless_hunter]

Lockdown held up his axe and casually looked at the head, taking on an air of smuggness. It also made sure that he had his weapon up and ready in case the meatbag tried to attack him.

"Let's just say I'd give ya' more than a little electric shock next time," He'd shocked a lot of people that night. This guy had to be on that broad spectrum. "Maybe I'll just step on ya', or grind your face into the ground with my tires."

[should_be_dead]

At first, Tenzen was skeptic about the man's claims. It could be very well the case this man had seen what had happened and he chose to use the information against him now, but the voice was still familiar. Now he knew to who it belonged; the metallic monster from a night or two ago. It must have been this 'Special Counseling' he had heard about, then. Tenzen narrowed his eyes. Be as it may, the other obviously saw fit to mock him like that.

For a moment, the ninja glared at the man across him, until a smirk returned to his face.

"What stops you from doing so now, I wonder?" he countered. "Or are you implying you are too weak without that metallic body of yours to back you up?"

It'd be problematic if this man would return to that form and keep his promise, however. Tenzen figured he should eliminate this possible threat before that would happen.

[ruthless_hunter]

It looked like he'd been right. The meatbag soon got a look on his face that made it clear that he remembered Lockdown, and he wasn't happy about it. Pit, HK was probably the only one who had enjoyed it when the bounty hunter had attacked lots of people that night.

Not losing his own smirk, Lockdown replied, "Nah, I just hate wasting time and energy on people who ain't worth a slag." The bounty hunter was known to be a jerkaft himself at times too. "How'd it feel when my bolt got you in the back?"

He could tell that the man might be thinking of attacking him. Lockdown knew he could handle this fleshie, and hey, he might get himself another axe out of it if they ended up fighting. And if the meatbag just walked away, Lockdown would let him go.

[should_be_dead]

At the very least, the event made Tenzen discover the parasitic creature within seemed to be dormant as of now. However, the man here seemed to be provoking him, or at least trying to hit some sort of sore spot. He did not like being openly mocked like this - even the Kouga did not possess such nerve - but he would not allow this man such satisfaction.

"You certainly seemed to think otherwise that night. Had that been your way of showing me I had not been worth your effort?" came Tenzen's reply, smirk widening slightly as he mocked the other man. "As for your attack, it had been useful. It was rather helpful in testing my limits in this place. "I suppose I have to thank you,"

Everyone was limited, so there was hardly any sense in hiding such a thing. Of course, that didn't mean he would be sharing any details.

[ruthless_hunter]

"Guess I felt like having a nice game of target practice," Lockdown replied. "The weak one always make the best targets." In truth, he'd only attacked the guy because his brainwashing had forced him to go after anyone trying to get through the field. But he didn't feel like being honest right now. It was more fun just to jerk the fleshie around.

However, part of him told the rest of him that he'd come up here for a purpose, and that he'd let himself become distracted. "Now if you're done, I'd really like to make some actual progress tonight." If the man stepped aside, Lockdown would just leave. Still, he kept his axe ready, just in case.

[should_be_dead]

Tenzen considered himself above this man's ridiculous mocking.

"As I recall, you were the one that began wasting my time," Tenzen responded, smirking wickedly. "Do you truly believe you could simply walk away after making such threats? Don't make me laugh."

As if the ninja would allow the other patient an opportunity to regain his original body. He, Yakushiji Tenzen, would strike this man down tonight. Partly because he had made himself known as a possible threat, partly because of his insolence. It wasn't like he would lose any sleep over taking a life of some nameless patient.

Keeping his own weapon ready, he continued: "I would not have considered you so naive, whoever you may be."

[ruthless_hunter]

Oh, so the meatbag wanted a fight, hm? So be it. He'd be happy to fulfil the guy's death wish.

Raising his own weapon, Lockdown smuggly replied, "I'm not. Just felt like givin' ya' an opportunity to be smart and get out with all your limbs. Wouldn't have considered you so suicidal. Oh, and the name's Lockdown." Might as well let the guy know exactly who it was that he'd stupidly challenged.

[should_be_dead]

"Yakushiji Tenzen," he responded. How amusing that this 'Lockdown' would call him suicidal, for he could not even die. But this was a detail the other man did not need to be aware of; until it was too late, of course. If it would ever come to this, of course.

And with that, Tenzen charged towards his opponent, axe ready so strike. Not that he expected Lockdown to stand still and wait for the incoming attack...

[ruthless_hunter]

Lockdown was more than ready for Tenzen. He brought his axe up so that the middle of the handle would collide with the upper part of the handle on Tenzen's axe, blocking the attack.

The bounty hunter then quickly swung his flashlight in an arc, intending to hit Tenzen in the thigh, aiming for one of the pressure points HK pointed out to him a few nights back.

[should_be_dead]

Tenzen had expected this, so he wasn't too surprised when the man blocked his attack and attempted to counter it with his flashlight. His free arm caught Lockdown's wrist before it could hit him in the thigh, effectively intercepting the attack. Baring a wicked smirk on his face, the ninja aimed a kick at the other's stomach.