22nd Exploit: Slight of Sight Zaine 5

After being duped by Clark's scheme, Antonio's impatience reaches a breaking point. Zaine's own tolerance has worn thin as he plans one last counter attack.

22nd Exploit: Slight of Sight Zaine Pt. 5

Zaine lands hard on the asphalt and skids backward several feet away from the burning apartment. Antonio lands on his feet. He keeps the mechanical arm firmly in his grasp and aggressively points it toward Zaine.

"Now I'm f*****g pissed." Antonio turns toward the building as the cyborg which he disarmed begins to climb out of the broken window Tony and Zaine had just flown out of. The other cyborg is approaching the window, walking harmlessly pass the flames. "Clark, you've wasted my time! Where is Sarah you b*****d?!" Tony clenches the arm hard enough to shatter it at the point of his grip. The remainder of the arm slams down on the ground. "Well?! Speak up a*****e! You were talking through your toy earlier, so why are you mute all of a sudden!?"

"Yo Tony!" Jason steps forward and looks over at the scene, noticing Zaine slowly getting up. "Looks like you've got things under control! Any luck with Sarah?!"

Antonio spits on the approaching cyborg. "Nah! This was all just a stupid trap to waste my time!" The one armed cyborg launches itself at Antonio and attempts to dropkick Tony, but he side steps it. It flies past both him and Zaine, slamming hard on the ground and leaving an indent where its legs land. "The machine nut decided to send these fancy hunks of trash at me, and paid this a*****e too!" Tony points at Zaine.

"Screw you Tonio!"

"Huh..." Jason lowers his shades just a slight bit and eyes Zaine. "Actually he looks familiar to me. You ever fight in the underground circuits around here?"

Zaine looks back at Jason. "Huh? Yeah, that was a good while ago! You a spectator?"

"Well-" Jason raises his sunglasses back up. "-I suppose you could say that." Jason pockets his hands and looks at Zaine. A smug grin grows under his scarf. "I was pretty interested by your cloud tricks back then but something about your fighting spirit put me off, like it was neglected. It 'stank' like bad booze. I couldn't bring myself to compete with such trashy aura-"

"Oh?! You wanna put your money where your mouth is pal!?! If you didn't challenge me maybe its because you had a yellow streak across your back!"

"Whatever." Zaine whips his head back at Antonio. "I don't care about all that nonsense, all I want to know is where Sarah and Clark are. Zaine, if you know what's good for you you'll just give up now. Besides-" Antonio extends his hand out. "-a bet is a bet. You lost, so your credentials as a martial artist are dead in the dirt. Or, are you not a man of your word?""

"As I recall, I still have until the end of the day!" Zaine smirks. "And if I can take out everyone here then that bet is worthless!" Clarice coughs in her hand and turns away from Zaine, as if embarrassed for him. Jason snickers and Antonio's anger gives way to laughter. "What?!"

"Oh Zed!" Antonio laughs for about three more seconds, before his expression shifts back to a focused rage. "You've lost. Utterly. Just lay down your license, or better yet rip it in half yourself. Take the loss, tell me where Clark or Sarah is and go back to Inizioville. Who knows, maybe Luke will take pity on you and-"

"Enough." Zaine fully faces Antonio. His body begins to quiver with embarrassment and anger as his fighting spirit rises to its peak. Zaine slowly goes into a stance Tony isn't familiar with. "If I'm going to be forced back to square one, I'm going out with the pride and dignity of MY master on my back! Master Belton, guide my fists to victory!"

~~~

Three Years Ago

(Two Months after failing Lukes school)

A younger Zaine walks among one of the streets of St. Costa. His cloth is cheap and he has the air of defeat around him. In spite of hearing news of his rival Antonio being beaten by Maxine, Zaine is still depressed. He glances at a street dojo and continues past it, but stops. He takes a couple steps backward. He eyes the place suspiciously, noting how its nondescriptly snug between a convenience store and a McLoggin's Burger and Rings*. He eyes the advertisement plastered on the window and reads it aloud to himself.

"Belton's Kan Ton dojo. Open to all willing to learn..." Zaine lets out a 'tsk'. "Fair judgement, fair assessment.' Is that so?" 

Zaine slinks into the dojo, and is immediately tempted to slink right the hell back out when he notices there's only beginners training in the dojo, besides one man. This individual stands in front of the others. He has a strawberry colored perm, and eyebrows. Hes a dark skinned fellow and has an arrogant presence about him. This is the clear master of the dojo, Belton Andre. Belton turns his attention to Zaine, whose back is still against the door.

"Oho?" Belton turns to face Zaine and greets him. "Welcome to the dojo, I-"

"Save the small talk." Belton raises his eyebrows. "I just need to know two things from you before I go any further with this... One, 'Fair Judgement'. Is that sincere? Two, are you qualified to train up to master rank?"

"Hm?" Belton is somewhat perplexed by Zaine's blunt approach. "Of course we're fair. As for qualifications, I am able to pass a student up to Master, but-" Zaine lets his fighting spirit surface. None of the students so much as get a hint of it but Belton immediately notices it. He takes a step forward. "Oho! I see. You're not already licensed?"

"Of course not, my last teacher burned me out of bias. That's the only reason I'm here."

"hm. Hm Hmmm." Belton strokes his chin. "Well, from novice to expert its usually eight months but lets assume you won't need that. from expert to master is roughly a year's worth of training. If I'm being honest, Ive only passed two students to master and their fighting spirit was a pinch weaker then yours. Most learn enough for the basics and then leave."

"Yeah, that's because you train riff raff." Half of Beltons class turn to face Zaine, quite offended by his statement. "Most of these pissants are here for the novelty only. They learn enough to 'kick a*s' and leave, am I right?" Belton says nothing. Zaine smirks as he eyes over the nasty glares. "Don't you grow tired of of the same kinda punk coming in for the hell of it? Just once, wouldn't you like to teach someone worth a damn-"

"Okay Ive heard just about enough of your s**t." The tallest student in the dojo walks toward Zaine. He is a freckly brown haired fellow, standing about an inch above Zaine. "Who the f**k are you, b***h? You wanna keep talking s**t I'll make sure you get a good mouthful-" Zaines aura turns malevolent. The students instinctively shrink away from him and the senior soils himself before collapsing to his knees. "Wh-what?" Zaine 'tsks' at the coward before turning back to Belton.

"Alright, well a diploma's a diploma. You said about a year? I'll graduate in no more the four months.

~~~

Two Months Later

The dojo hasn't changed aside from there being a few different students and about 1/3rd of the class before is absent, including the senior student that Zaine scared the piss out of. Zaine sits in front of Belton, both on their knees. Between them is a diploma and a license sitting atop a velvet pillow. The class sit likewise behind Zaine in honor.

"Zaine Kanue-" Belton speaks. "-I in great confidence deem you more then worthy of being honored as a martial arts master. You have done well to earn this. As a matter of fact, if I may flatter you a little, you're perhaps the greatest student Ive had cross my little modest dojo."

Zaine bows, less out of honor and more to hide a grimace at being a part of what might as well be considered 'trash alumni' to him. "Thank you sensei."

"Hm. Now, grasp your license and diploma with pride and make your mark on the world!" Zaine lifts his head up and greedily grasps his martial arts master license, looking over it carefully. He grabs the diploma and stands up to applause. Zaine can't help but smirk arrogantly.

~~~

Months come and go...

Two months later, Zaine is fighting in shady gambling joints and making a living through violence. He wins often, only losing to a handful of those who have control of their fighting spirit as well. Four more months pass and Zaine is strapped to a bed, getting a gem augmentation illegally. The machine has one of his palms grasped and is hot red. There is a tube leading from it to a coal gemstone which is being siphoned and transferred through the pipe. Zaine is screaming in agony as the doctor in charge carefully keeps an eye on his contraption. The surface of the machine that's pressed on Zaines palm vibrates violently.

"Should be about thirty more minutes, then you wanted the other palm done, yes?"

"AAAGGGH!" Zaine grits his teeth. "YES DAMN IT!!!"

Another three months pass and Zaine is often the highlight of the underground arena's, with his newfound coal like clouds confusing most of his opponents, including those with more potent fighting spirits in some cases. In one instance Jason is witness to one of Zaines battles. He looks on mildly amused before leaving.

A year passes and Zaine is a changed man. His hair, while further receded,  is now gelled up in spikes and his cloth is worn with pride rather then shame. Zaine looks on toward the foreboding Tai Tower and smirks.

"Looks like this is the place." Zaine speaks to himself. "Time to make the big bucks!"

~~~

Present

Zaine stands across from Antonio. He grits his teeth and closes his fists. "Tonio...No more gimmicks, I'll kill you here and now with my natural skill! Now Die!"

Zaine 'disappears', but Tony is able to follow his movements with ease. Zaine is airborne and falling fast toward Antonio. "MY master's ultimate maneuver!!!" Zaine spins at the last second and rears the back of his heel toward Antonio's head. All of his aura is focused on this fierce attack. "The Belton Round, I call it the Mustard Bom-"

Tony bends his upper body back, dodging the attack and only getting clipped by the aura, and smashes his own foot into the side of Zaine. Zaine slams hard on the ground and is left defeated once again. "Guess I can dodge after all, eh Zed?"

Before he has time to recover the one armed cyborg rushes at Antonio and gets ready to drill through him with its one good arm.

"Pardon me."

Clarice is already sword deep into the cyborgs torso. She completes the swing, bringing the blade to a stop above her head*. The cyborg collapses in a heap as its two halves smoke and sputter. As soon as Clarice sheathes her blade the other cyborg is over her, both of its arms spinning and ready to destroy.

"Careful, they're fast-"

"I'm faster." Jason has a hand planted on the back of the cyborgs head. As it closes its drilling arms Jason discharges his electric fighting spirit into the robot. It explodes, sending Jason flying back and Clarice tumbling forward. They both land gracefully.

---

Clark is staring back at a static screen. He stands up in a huff and grabs his hair in anger.

"F**K!!" Zorn and Sarah both look toward Clark. "That green haired piece of s**t's gonna pay!!!"

"Green hair... That just about confirms part of my suspicion." Clark glares at Sarah, who returns an equally nasty look.

"Well, dear, guess I should let you in the loop since your interest just skyrocketed." Clark stands and begins to walk around his desk. "Don't think me too bad for this, but I had hoped to use you as something of a bargaining chip. It isn't anything personal, I just don't like being robbed from. Your friend, Tony If I remember right, destroyed Tai Corp property, MY property, and that's just about the same as stealing from me." Clark approaches Sarah, who is starting to look disgusted. "It really shouldn't be a big deal, but your friend just doesn't want to play by the rules, so I'm desperate-"

"You're a rat b*****d!" Clark reels his hand back to slap Sarah, but stops. If looks could kill he'd be dead. He lowers his hand and smiles.

"Easy. Remember your place, kiddo. You're a member, an official member, of the Tai Corporation, and you haven't been a member for too long. You're not division-less scum but you're still expendable. Now, I promised Tony a penalty reward if he didn't obey my rules, and I'll be damned his buddies showed up. however, I'm willing to be the better man and turn a blind eye."

"What do you mean?"

Clark places his arm over Sarahs shoulder and grins. "I'll forgive Antonio and his debt, and his ceaselessly obnoxious smug attitude, if you'll promise to come to my call anytime I feel the need for personal company, if you know what I mean."

Sarah shoves Clarks arm off of her and balls her fists. "WHAT!?!"

"Hey hey, no need to be nasty. If you don't want to go that route we could always bring up your shady past to the media, eh officer brute?" Sarah knees Clark in the groin, lifting him off the ground and making him squeal in agony.

"YOU FILTHY PIG!" Aura surrounds Sarahs hand and she gets ready to punch a prone Clark, but Zorn grabs her arm and lifts her up and away from his boss. "Damn it! Vince and Tai are gonna find out about this, you'll go to prison for this!"

Clark coughs as he forces himself up. He clutches his groin and looks toward the struggling Sarah with foul intent. "Z-Zorn... Toss the damn b***h!" Zorn grins.

"Absolutely." Zorn releases his grip on Sarahs wrist, letting her drop down but only for a moment. He hoists her up in a reverse fireman's carry and allows his immense aura to surround both of them. Clark is still slinking toward the window.

"Neither of you are going to get away with this!" The glass window slides open after Clark hits a button on the side. Zorn twists his body about 20 degrees right and catapults Sarah out of the window**. She's sent spiraling forward 50 feet, past Clarks table, the window, the building and through a cloud. Sarah's life flashes before her eyes as she starts to descend down the massive drop. She focuses all of her thoughts on protecting her head and neck with aura. The brief eternity of flight stops suddenly. Everything within a 30 feet radius of impact that doesn't have a foundation bursts upward and away from Sarah in a spiral. She herself is immediately thrown into darkness.

Author's Note

Belton Andre - 6'1, 178, 44

McLoggin's Burger and Rings = McDonalds like restaurant. Popular in Norot, Ferland and South Avastan

Kan Ton = An immensely popular martial art in Norot, though often considered good only for beginners. Belton is only one of many master practitioners

*Spring Scorn
** Shuddering Ballistic