Can I Trust You? (Tai Yang)

[Ayal Nissim]

Ayal didn't like it, but he knew something had to be done.

When Director Troutman had made the announcement that one of the schools would be cut, Ayal was more than aware Hircine was not the school the Board had in mind. The contrasts were obvious; Paragon was instituted a cross between an overflow school and a breeding ground for psychos. If Ms. Amadis Grimore (Ayal had asked around about her name) was any indication, Hircine would not even have to lift a finger to destroy the entire Institute.

As strange as it was, Ayal could detect small semblances of loyalty in Paragon; even in a school for independant psychotic murderers, they had their loyalty to anyone they respected, a simple mob mentality. There was no lack of strength here; Ayal was convinced that in any one on one fight, he would place his money on Paragon's brawn over Hircine's brains. Even so, as Ayal had learned in Israel, a coordinated assault by a sub-standard squadron could destroy a collection of superior warriors.

The solution seemed simple enough; unite the school under one banner to incapacitate Hircine and control the warring factions at Paragon.

And, Ayal hated this part, to unite the school, Paragon needed a leader with a track record and charisma.

To that end, Ayal was forced to meet with the Paragon School Captain, Long Tai Yang.

Ayal walked down the halls of Paragon, still straightening his thoughts inside his head, organizing his points. Dressed in his usual attire of black combat boots, urban camo pants, a Krav Counter-Terror squad t-shirt, and his green canvas bag he carried, Ayal leaned up against the lockers and waited.

Tai Yang has my message; He'll be here.

[Tai Yang]

Slipping through the crowds of students, some plotting the destruction of Hircine, other's still fearing him - especially after what he did to he brutish fairy, Conner McGrath. It seemed as though making someone eat their own eye while unconcious was deemed as revolting, and merciless amongst his peers. But eh, who gives a fuck what they think.

After all his chaos and destruction it seemed as though people were still interested in calling him out. He received messages each and every day, more and more people trying to take his title. But none of them were able to cut it, and each one was sent to the nurses office, or if they really pissed him off, the hospital. But today seemed like a completely different call out, he didn't recognize the name, but the location was pretty public, even for trying to destroy the Captain of Paragon.

As he headed down the hall he caught sight of the guy who had left him the message, and from a distance he looked vaguely familar, but the Chinese-American couldn't put his finger on where he knew him. In the end he just figured that this was another guy he had already beaten on.

"Alright, I'm here." He stepped in front of Ayal, his arms crossed as he stared at him through his left eye, his lips tightly pressed together as though he was already pissed off. His day so far hadn't been anything agitating, more along the lines of fun, but that didn't stop him from putting on an act.

"What do you want?"

[Ayal Nissim]

"Tai Yang, It's what you should want is why I am here."

Ayal turned toward Tai Yang and quickly snapped to attention, locking his ankles together, straightening out his chest, and giving a quick salute, more out of habit than anything. It was customary of Ayal to salute his superior instructors when he was at home, and this seemed to carry into every aspect of his life that involved respecting someone.

"Ayal Nissim, pleasure to meet you Mr. Tai Yang." Ayal said, relaxing his stance, staring him in the face, and taking note of the area around his right eye. "I'm here for both our benefits."

"First, I would like to make sure you are aware of the recent announcement about the two schools. I believe you are already aware of the fact that the way things are now, Paragon will be disbanded, and most of us will end up in Hircine." Ayal placed his arms behind his back, in a formal "At ease" position. "And you are probably aware that the former captain of a destroyed school is the first target after the transfers come in; it makes the most sense that keeping the school open is the best alternative for all of us here."

"Sadly," Ayal turned back toward Tai Yang, a more stern look on his face, "We do have a critical Achilles' Heel here. Look around; Paragon does not lack the malice, the strength, or the determination to defeat Hircine. What it lacks is the direction. I'm no doubt sure you have noticed the amount of free-radicals in this school; hell, recently a Ms. Amadis Grimoire has been eating other students alive, for Christ's sake."

"We need to unite and organize the school immediately, Tai Yang." Ayal made a motion toward his ally's eye, "I'm impressed you made it out of a fight with Conner McGrath with only an irritated eye and a few split knuckles, but you must know he is an influential lieutenant in the Hircine gang Revelation. I've talked around, and I know that their leader, Seth Calloway, masterminded the attack that killed the former principal Macmillan, and Paragon's leadership is hardly as time-tested as that. I expect retaliation to come to Paragon, and I expect it will be big."

"As such, " Ayal continued, "I have a plan to organize the school into a superior fighting force; disciplined, organized, and loyal to their brothers and sisters here. I will make sure that everyone at this school can bandage wounds, treat injuries, disarm handheld weapons, and restrain any enemy they can come across. I want to be able to mobilize this school into a fortress the minute Calloway or any other Hircine thug hits our door."

"Of course, I need a personality that people know, someone they can organize behind, someone that will crush any resistance. To be blunt, Tai Yang, I need you. You've definitely fought enough opponents to be known around here, and if your fight with McGrath is any indication, you know how to put enough shock into it that nobody would ever think about crossing you or anything you belong to."

"I need you because you have the personality, and you need me because I have the plans. In return, you will be the celebrated victor when the school is saved, and I will have a school where there is relative peace."

"Do you have any objections to this, Mr. Tai Yang?"

[Tai Yang]

"Stop assuming."

Having stood through everything Ayal had to say he remained unfaltering in his outward appearance. He still looked just as pissed off as before, not even showing any signs of curiousity. At first it was all just an act, and then Ayal kept speaking. The boy seemed to over step his verbal boundries. He acted like he was talking to a superior, at least if this was the military. But he assumed that he had enough authority to control the conversation. He explained to much to fast, not allowing for Tai Yang to incorporate his thoughts into the matter. In the end all Tai Yang saw was a boy who wanted to ride his coat tails into the spot light.

"Don't ever assume that I need you. You have a plan, huh? Well, so does eighty percent of the student body. But they all lack the same thing, and let me tell you: it isn't direction."

Taking a step back he spun around on his heel, his own words seeming to make him even angerier. He paced a few steps to the right, then turned and went back another three steps before he stoppe and looked back at Ayal.

"They lack motivation, they lack desire. While they may like it hear, they're much to acceptable to just go with the flow. They don't care."

"Why should I care if there's a girl eating people alive? I havn't hit on her, it's not like she's tried to chomp off my dick, so why should I care. I'm the Captain in a school filled with phsyco's. This school is only as strong as the people who make it up, and no matter how ruthless they think they are, they're all too soft for my taste."

Taking a deep breath he exhaled slowly, his left eye taking a sharp look at Ayal as he calmed himself. He didn't really care about this boys plans, as he'd already said that they'd fail without him, or rather that they were hopeless without him. All that meant is that he could have some fun before breaking the boys dreams.

"Hit me. Punch me in the face. Don't think, just do it."

He stood still, his hands tucked away in his pockets as he leaned forward slightly, waiting for the strike.

[Ayal Nissim]

"Why should I care if there's a girl eating people alive? I haven't hit on her..."

At that very moment, Ayal lost every semblance of respect for the Paragon captain.

Ayal did not care who he was, what he stood for, or what he could have accomplished in that very moment. He had worked with drill seargents in Israel who would drive a man insane with pscyhological and physical torture just to make a point. These men seemed to delight in watching pain, the mere sight of blood and tears seemed to satisfy their entire existance every single time. These men were short of war criminals in the lengths they went to to make a man or woman a soldier.

But once the battles started, these seargents would fight to the death to assist and protect these people, no questions asked.

Ayal shifted his weight around, waiting for Tai Yang to say something else. Finally, his oppertunity came when Tai Yang shoved his hands into his pockets and asked Ayal to punch him. Of course, this was already the conclusion that Ayal had come to.

Situation has become critical; Tango refuses to negotiate, proves incompetent as a leader, invites attacks. Plan B is now in effect; destroy Tango alpha.

"Don't think about it, just do it."

With that, Ayal stepped his right foot to Tai Yang's right foot, putting him out of Tai's line of punches. Ayal then quickly pivoted on his own left foot, turning into a downward hammer fist to Tai's unprotected neck, which made a resounding sound as it struck his artery.

Smug kusemek* MIGHT have been able to do something about that if his hands weren't dug into his pockets.

Ayal's right hand quickly rebounded back and cupped the front of Tai's throat as his left hand grabbed Tai's right arm, a bit above the wrist. Ayal began to rotate his body, trying to roll Tai to the floor, on his back with his arm still under Ayal's control.

*Israeli; motherfucker

[Tai Yang]

'He assumes to much.'

When Ayal put his right foot on to Tai Yangs he turned his back to the Captain of Paragon. He could see it clearly, and as a a result he acted without relying on the intel from his opponent's upper body. Whatever he was planning to attack with became futile, as Tai Yang would no longer allow him to place his strike.

Swaying back he pivoted over with his hip and right leg. While his foot remained planted his body still turned, making it look like he was trying to dislocate his leg from the socket. Anyone whom saw him afterwards would no different, but for the brief second he went on attack that would be the case. His attack was simple and desctructive, just like all of his moves. He swayed back, and while doing so threw his left foot out in a knee high kick, aimed to strike out the back of his opponent's left knee. Of course, he couldn't get the proper torque on his kick, but striking the heavy steel toe of his boot to a cluster of nerves was more then strong enough.

His kick would be finished as he drew it back, placing it just a short distance behind his right and off to the side. As he drew it back his hands exited his pockets, his left pulling in close to his body while being moved up into guard, his right snapping out from the bottom angle as his closed fist would snap around to the front of Ayal's body and strike at an upwards angle towards his chin - helping to make the hidden in a blind spot.

Pulling his left arm in like that expanded his back, and in doing so drew out even more power from his strike. But that wasn't the only thing he did to increase the power of his blow, he also pushed his left boot into the ground, allowing him to shift his weight into the blow despite the fact that it was such a short movement.