HUNT DOWN!: Making Mountains out of Molehills(Inu Aku)

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei was walking through a women's clothing store, trying to find a new outfit for his wife Angelica. Wei was looking at one t-shirt after another. He ignored the other section of the store with all the dresses and skirts. As much as Wei would have loved to see his wife wear a dress more often, they simply were not Ange's style.

Wei found a t-shirt that said on it, I see dumb people. He smiled. "This is her kind of shirt."

Wei was about to take it off the rack, when a loud voice distracted him.

[Inu]

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY DON'T HAVE THIS IN PINK!?"

The Jackel couldn't be more pissed off. After all the time she spent staring in the window at this damned outfit, telling him how cute it would be in pink, and they have no pink outfit. Sold the last one a mere ten minutes before hand. Rather than waste his money on this white one, he simply kills the clerk and takes it for free.

"Dammit all...she's gonna be disappointed..."

The Jackel storms out, the clothes clenched tightly in either fist.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei dropped the shirt he had.

"Wait you! You can't go murdering people over clothes!" Wei shouted after Inu.

Seeing that Inu did not hear him, or was ignoring him, Wei ran out the door to catch him. The Jackel was just reaching the street corner when Wei came barreling along the sidewalk after him.

"Stop!"

[Inu]

Inu turns to look over his shoulder with a slight sneer. Inu has been of the opinion that the ends justify the means, and takes it to an extreme when it comes to Sorr. It's not the first time he's killed someone for the sake of doing something for her, and it won't be the last. Now he has to lose this Jedi. He leaps atop a lamppost, jumping from there to clear the lane of traffic that blockades the other pedestrians and takes off at his natural speed.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei set his jaw and channeled the Force into his legs, Force boosting his jump to make it over the traffic. Landing solidly on the ground, Wei continues on at a Force boosted pace. He'd catch up in no time.Wei dodged through pedestrians, gaining on the Jackel one foot at a time.

[Inu]

He lashes with a kick while on the move, staggering a child into the sidewalk. A small bunch forms at the point where the child fell, impeding Wei's progress. The Jackel ducks into an alleyway to wait on the Jedi speeding by...

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei quickly came to a halt, nearly running into one of the crowd as he did so. Wei ran at the side of a building, ran along the wall, and jumped down, continuing past the alleyway that Inu had run into.

"Where did he go?"

[Inu]

Inu slides from the alleyway and quickly gains on Wei.

"Where did I go..." he mutters. "HERE!"

The Jackel throws a solid punch at the back of Wei's head.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei ducks Inu's punch, and keeps on running.

"What's with you and killing that guy? All you had to do was wait about 4 or 5 days for more pink things to come in."

Wei takes out his fan, but leaves it closed. Wei slows down so that he is running next to the Darksider and puts all his weight into shoulder tackling Inu. Wei would get him to slow down one way or the other.

[Inu]

Inu ducks and shuffles sideways, returning the shoulder tackle.

"It has to be today, Jedi!"

Today is a special day for Sorr and Inu. It's her first birthday he'll be celebrating with her, and dammit, he needs a gift. This Jedi won't stop him!

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei sees another alley and gets an idea. He speeds up ahead of Inu and walks up the corner of the building as though it were a vertical tightrope. once he climbed high enough, Wei kicked off the wall and landed behind Inu, making things like they were before.

"Yeah, it has to be today, because you decided to kill somebody! If you Darksiders would just learn to control your tempers, Jedi would not be hounding you everywhere you go!"

Wei removed a lightsaber from his belt and activated it, sweeping at Inu's feet.

[Inu]

The Jackel leaps nimbly Wei runs beneath him and Inu delivers and aerial kick to stagger him. He gains more ground, seeking another site to ambush the Jedi Padawan. He has to lose him quickly: Sorr's celebration is soon.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei is thrown off balance, but avoids getting a face full of duracrete by somersaulting back to a steady run. Wei is now locked on to Inu's Force signature. It'll make it more difficult to sneak up on him again.

Wei pushes up his glasses and as his lenses settle back onto his nose, a construction site looms into view. A crew has just left for the day and the skeletal structure of a large skyscraper stand as testimony to the work crew's hard work. Wei runs toward Inu at an angle, then performs another shoulder tackle to push him into the site..

[Inu]

Inu is checked, and skids into the site. A quick recovery and he's in the structure, clearing five stories before Wei can catch up. The two face off, standing fifty meters apart on the steel I-beams.

"Evasion seems to be a no-go..." he says with a resigned tone.

He hangs Sorr's gift over the beam and spreads his feet in a stable stance.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei chooses a side stance for fighting on the beam. Like playing chicken on the balance beam back in the day. Wei jumps past Inu to the I-beam perpendicular the one Inu is on, and springs off of it. As Wei sails through the air, he aims his elbow at Inu's ribcage.

"No escape."

[Inu]

Inu leans way over, falling from the beam and completing a small flip to hang from it. His body carries it's momentum and he swings up from the opposite direction to land on the rail again. The Jackel leaps after Wei, taking him by the ankle and throwing him across and up toward a vertical beam.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei sees the beam come at him and thinks. Wei doesn't do much thinking usually: the answer just seems to fall right into his lap. 3 seconds, 2 seconds...Wei comes up with an idea. He doesn't like it, but it's his only option.

Wei takes his lightsaber again and cuts the beam into two places. The chunk of beam slides out from it's place and Wei sails through the hole he has made. Wei looks about for a way to change his trajectory. He finds the cable for the work elevator within arms reach.

"I didn't think they used these anymore..." Wei muttered.

Wei put the thought out of his mind and grabbed the cable with one hand. Wei spun around the taught cable and lets go at just the right moment. He flies back in the other direction, but falls short of a beam. Wei manages to grab a hold.

Force boostind his strenght, Wei umproves his grip on the beam to pull himself up, but the I beam becomes warped in the process. Repairs would indeed be expensive. There are 5 beams to cross and one story to go up to get to the Jacke.

Sometimes the most direct path is not the best path to take.

Wei oftentimes heard his grandpa's voice inside his head. Grandpa never said much, but what little he did say was worth paying attention to.

Wei jumped up one story, landing on the I beam above the one he was facing before. Wei continued jumping on the large stairs. At last Wei reached the fifth story above Inu. Wei dives off, grabbing Inu's long hair as he falls past him, dragging the Apprentice along. Wei shifted around so that Inu was beneath him. The Jackel would end up taking the brunt of the fall if all went well.

[Inu]

Inu pulls his arms back over his head and points them both, palms out, at the ground. The blast from the Force push slows them to the point where the Jackel may land safely on his feet. No sooner has he landed than he swings his head, boosting his strength and cracking his hair like a whip. Wei is shaken off, and Inu directs a neaby pile of durracrete shards at the Padawan before returning to the skyscraper jungle gym.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei searched himself for his fan with the light saber technology. Where had he put it? It was in his hand a few seconds ago? At last he found it. In his sleeve. It fell back in there somehow. Wei took it out, flicked it open as wide as he could get it, and managed to slag most of the shards. A few nicked him in a few places. The scratches stung, but they were minor. Wei focused on his own chi and the scratches were soon fading away.

"Come back here!"

Even when the Jackel was contained he could still run away. Wei headed for the very top of the building. Maybe Inu would be there.

[Inu]

Inu has lost himself within the confines of the giant's skeleton, watching the Padawan climb to the top. He had considered that option, but thought it too obvious. He climbed halfway up before doubling back. Now he stands in the bottom, in the opposite corner from Wei.

"Predictable Jedi!"

He pulls with the Force, and Wei topples from the high building, flying headlong toward the Jackel. He bounces and careens off of I-beams, and the Jackel rushes forward to meet him, claws bared for a swift, killing strike.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei felt a pull on him, and before he knew it, he was falling again. Inu Has his claws at the ready, and Wei will not meet him unprepared. Wei opens his hands and smoothly shunts the Force into his arms, not only for increased speed to block, but also increased strength for performing a counter.

"Predictable Darksider."

[Inu]

The two meet halfway up the skyscraper, clashing like deities of war, forearms barred against one another as each attacks and is blocked at once. The land on an I-beam, balancing on it like tightrope walkers, each in a stance of battle.

"Pfft. Meddling Jedi."

Inu's running out of time, he has to get home. He could solve the problem and simply run, but now this has become a personal matter.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei eyed The Jackel carefully. Inu was a crafty sort of Darksider if Wei had ever seen one. Wei started simple, with a one-two punch combination, and then a side kick. Wei would see how he reacted. He had a bit to learn about his opponent.

[Inu]

Block block CATCH...The Jackel deflects the hand strikes, catching Wei's foot and pushing him backward, off balance. He follows with a chop at the man's throat.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei felt himself tip over, but back flipped to his feet. A swift soft block stopped the attack on his throat. Wei slipped Inu's arm into an armbar, then applied leverage. Wei then performed two swift round kicks to Inu's ribs.

[Inu]

The kicks land, striking the side of him left open by his barred arm. Inu looses a crushing right hook on Wei, breaking the Jedi's hold and staggering both. Inu falls to his starting point, taking Sorr's gift in hand. His eyes focus on the beam Wei stands upon, and slowly it begins to melt. Salem's fire trick is a useful tool.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei feels a scorching on his back, and springs to his feet. The thing got hot awful fast.

"Ow!" Wei jumpes down from the beam and decides to lure the Darsider away from the contruction zone. more harm was being done than help. Wei used the Force to call the ladie's outfit to him and began to run off with it.

"I'll return this to the store for you! It's not been paid for, after all!" Wei yells over his shoulder at Inu, and begins to race around the block. He'd make a circuit.

[Inu]

Inu's eyes flare. There's no way in hell this Jedi will prevent him. Wei has a considerable lead...the Jackel focuses again, setting the Jedi's clothing ablaze. Let him deal with that...it will earn him a few seconds to play catch up.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei rolled to the ground, smothering the fire. His clothes were burnt, but he was ok.

"Man, my grandmother made me these clothes!" Wei looked at the outfit he had been holding. It was slightly charred too. "The guy doesn't think, does he?" he asked the outfit.

Wei ducked around the corner, and waited on Inu.

[Inu]

Inu bursts after, stopping a short distance up from Wei, sniffling the air.

"Damned Jedi, give me back that clothing...I've got a birthday to deliver it to and you ain't helpin!"

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei exploded from around the corner, wrapping Inu;s head in the garment. No doubt the burnt smell would stop up his nose and the fabric would blind fold him.

"And you are not helping the family of that poor dead person by killing her. And you are not helping the store by stealing from it. And you are not helping me by resisting."

Wei slammed Inu into the nearby wall and held him there. "Now calm down, and come quietly."

[Inu]

"I'll come quietly..." Inu growls, unable to shake himself from makeshift blindfold, "When you drag my cold dead carcass home with you!"

He pushes back from the wall, twisting and blindly pushing Wei back and throwing a blind hook. The garment shakes loose, and Inu gains the sight of one eye. He pulls it the rest of the way off his face and glares.

"They attempted to prevent me, so they were killed. If something does not benefit me or my family, it is worthy of destruction."

[Wei Wu Wei]

Inu's push knocked Wei to the ground, leaving the punch to smash through thin air.

"At least the man is loyal to his family."

Wei shook his head as he got up. "Prevented you from what? Do you think it was their fault that another customer had bought the pink outfit before you were able to get to the store?"

Wei spat. "You're silly if you think that."

[Inu]

"You're right. It's not their fault. But someone has to pay for my wife's disappointment. May as well have been the fool behind the counter."

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei shook his head, making his ponytail sway back and forth. "I'm sure your wife wouldn't care what sort of present you got her. If she really loved you then the only thing that she will ever really want is to be with you. Even if you had gone home empty handed, she still would have appreciated the fact that you at least tried to get her something. That way, you would not be running late because a Jedi is trying to keep you from stealing and killing."

Wei turned away from Inu and began to walk down the street. He'd had enough.

[Inu]

A solid blow to the back of Wei's head sends him skittering down the walk. That's not the point, dammit! It doesn't matter whether she would have appreciated the effort or not. The point is that he succeeds. He follows up, preparing another punch with the strength to crush the Padawan's bones.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei hits the ground, and back-rolls to his feet.

If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was mad. Wei thought to himself.

Wei began to back pedal, barely avoiding getting hit with the follow up. Wei continued to move backwards, using the Force to sense anyone that might be in his way. The Jedi Padawan eventually got himself turned around and running full speed. Inu was really mad.

[Inu]

Really mad...is not the word. Indeed, it is understatement. The Jackel follows after Wei, propelled after him by his frustration with the Jedi. He isn't carrying his sword, damn it all...he'll have to close in. Inu leaps in a long, flat arc and does a spinning swing kick, meant to take the hero's head from his shoulders.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei ducks the kick and stops suddenly, sticking his elbow out behind him in hopes the Jackel will not be able to stop in time and get himself caught on it.

Once Wei finds out if the attack works, he's back on the run again.

[Inu]

Inu side steps the lashes with a chop, striking the air where Wei was.

"Krasst!"

Inu drives for the Jedi and tackles him with his shoulder, trying to run him into something to slow him down.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei hits a building but he manages to put his hands out to catch himself. Wei uses his own momentum and does a vertical push up to rebound off the wall and perform a crescent kick, then a spinning crescent before running away again.

[Inu]

Inu ducks and blocks, pushing Wei back and inadvertently adding to his momentum. Damn! Inu overtakes him and flexes his claws. making a swipe at a streetlamp. It tilts crazily...at Wei's speed he should run directly into the falling lamp.

[Wei Wu Wei]

The lamp falls and Wei runs into it. The streetlamp gets him in his stomach, bending the Padawan double and causing him to flip over the post, landing gracelessly on his rear.

Wei gets up and runs toward Inu full speed. The Jedi plants one foot into Inu's stomach, and pushes himself up, as though he were walking up a flight of stairs. Wei brings his other foot up to kick Inu under the chin, and flips down into a fighting stance.

[Inu]

The kick is immense; Inu finds himself flipping over backwards. He catches himself and performs several back handsprings to gain his balance, then drives for Wei with a powerful hook kick.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei ducks, and backs away, leaping over the two lane street to the other side and running up the wall to the roof of a very tall building. Wei runs across to the other side and jumps down, looking about to see what he can use there to help him take down Inu.

"Come on, I know you're here...."

[Inu]

Inu hasn't bothered with Wei's theatrics. He simply clears the street--and the building--with a single leap, falling from above to land behind the Padawan.

"Try behind you."

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei doesn't repsond verbally. Instead, he turns and backhands Inu in one motion, then takes off down the street, still searching for what it is he's trying to find.

"Come on, come on!"

Wei looks around, letting the Force lead him. At last he finds it. A long durasteel pipe. Wei dashes over and picks it up. Lucky for him the pipe was heavy.

"We will soon see why they call it durasteel," Wei chuckles and climbs up onto the balcony of a nearby hotel. Wei sends a short message down the street to Inu.

Is the poor doggy tired out already?

Wei is not usually one to insult friend or foe, but he knows the comment will get Inu down to him faster than the speed of light.

[Inu]

Inu staggers back, wiping the blood from his lip with his thumb. The telepathic taunt comes seconds later, born to him on a burst of Force that he traces back to Wei. He's there in a split second, not noticing the Jedi's position until it was almost too late. He turns, beginning a defense...

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei jumps down, and strengthens his arms as much as he can with the Force. Wei takes the durasteel pipe and wraps it around Inu's arms, pinning him down. Wei pulls it as tight as he can.

If Wei could bend it, then Inu could bend it back. Wei wasn't stupid. But it would be much harder for Inu.

"Are you ready to admit you were wrong for killing that person and stealing these clothes? Wei asks, pointing at the outfit.

[Inu]

Inu pulls hard, slowly prying the pipe off his arms.

"Not...in the least...Jedi!"

He puts up his dukes, still bound together, and continues to free himself.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei sighed. Wei used the tip of his index finger to push his glasses up, then slide them back onto the bridge of his nose. They kept slipping. He'd have to get them adjusted soon.

"Thing about you Sith, you are all too rigid. If you would only learn to yield a little in situations, then you'd find yourselves living much better lives. You'd have more friends that way, to be sure."

Wei watched Inu struggle. The Padawan let out another heavy breath and shook his head. How could he get Inu to understand?

[Inu]

The pipe bends back and drops the ground.

"I have plenty, thank you. Now are you done?"

[Wei Wu Wei]

"To be continued," Wei replies. Then he jumps onto the top of a passing speeder and sits down. "See you later!" He calls back to Inu, stretching his arm high over his head and waving.

[Inu]

"Well it's about time..."

Inu stretches, feeling the slight burn in his muscles. They'll be sore later. But for right now, he has to be home. He drove here in his own speeder. It's a simple matter to trace his way back to the store (now swarming with cops) and drive home.