Sightseeing...

[Grayell]

Grayell nods then, placing a hand onto her far shoulder and pulling her gently against his side.

"Yes. You're family."

There really wasn't much else to be said, he'd made his mind up and as crazy as that might seem - well it simply felt right. Besides, they had the room and whilst Kiko was away on her trip to the Overwood, it would be nice to have some company about the place.

He also needed some more answers. Nothing he would pry nor push for, but if something could make sense of all this... well. He might just sleep better some nights.

[Neko]

::She snuggles in close, happy to have a home again. And living with her Uncle would allow her to better keep an eye on him. "Her" Grayell atleast had a talent for attracting danger, so she needed to be close in order to keep him safe. And to give her more opportunities to figure out just what the flarb was going on here...::

Thank you, Uncle. I look forward to meeting your ladywife.

::Actually, she was a little worried. She knew that change was not something everyone took well... She hoped this would not be said for whomever this woman turned out to be. Reguardless, she was obviously someone her Uncle cared deeply for. So she vowed to extend her the same care that she showed her Uncle. To protect the woman, with her life if need be.::

[Grayell]

Grayell was happy with that then and was certain that Kiko would like Neko just fine. He'd spent enough time in the East to see the influence in Neko's garb and that immediately meant they'd more than likely have a common interest. Other than him of course.

Those pleasant thoughts were shattered when a group of six punks rounded the corner. Grayell recognized them as one of the local hoodlum gangs in the area, identified by their ridiculous garb. He knew enough to know they weren't worth his time.

"Oh lookit this pair. My my, what a cute couple. Tell us mate, she put out?"

Not worth his time... til now.

"Funny hoods you got there. Fancy yerselves as some of them Vanguard lot, do ya? Yeah, my aunt's right foot you is."

Hoo boy. Stupid is as stupid does. Grayell left the hood in place, he wasn't about to show them his identity. This wasn't a Vanguard issue, it was personal; but he simply couldn't run the risk of them figuring it out later. He rested a hand on Neko's shoulder and she could feel him smiling.

"Don't you worry young miss, I can handle this lot."

[Neko]

::She was confused for a moment...::

What do they mean "Put out"? Like fires or something??

::She doesn't wait for an answer. Taking in the hoodlums before her, she can tell they are obviously spoiling for a fight and had not the slightest clue who they and stumble across. She slides gracfully off the crate and imediatly puts herself between the thugs and her Uncle, the shadows within the hood pooling once more to disguise her features. It would not due to have him be injured on her first day here.

Her hands start to move toward her weapons before she remembers her lessons. "Spare the ignorant, for they know not what they do." Or something like that. Her Uncle tended to be more blunt than that. Either way, her weapons were meant for killing and these punks had not done anything to deserve that fate so far. Instead she takes a deep breath to ready herself. Should they be fool enough to move towards her, she would strike out.::

[Grayell]

Grayell watched her quite happily shrug him off and position herself in harm's way. That might give him cause for alarm - except he noticed her stance. A very strong stance but more than that, so very reminiscent of his own. That was interesting.

So, Grayell decided to wager a little. He could read a fighter a mile away and had no doubt whatsoever that he could put someone well into the ocean before they managed to hurt her. It seemed like the risk was not so great... so he leaned back on the crate once more.

"I'm right here Neko."

He then looked to the punks... and laughed out aloud.

"Yeah, I don't think she's your type lads. Besides, looks to me like you're about to have your sorry asses kicked."

The group laughed mockingly at that, making a right show of it until their leader hissed for them to be silent. He lifted a hand.

"Boys? Get her."

Neko was quick enough to make a move before they even closed the gap,

[Neko]

::The man had spoken and by his own hand marked himself the leader, and therefore her first target.

"Remove the head, and the body will fail." She remembers hearing long ago. Was it Father, or Uncle? She did not recall, but she planned on putting it to the test.

Crouching low, she springs straight past the first rush of thugs and moves right for their leader. Leaping, she aims to land against his chest, her fist cocked back to fire a shot at his nose...::

[Grayell]

The first swiped and almost fell past Neko as she slipped past them and before they could reel about to attack her, Grayell had simply bashed their thick heads together and dropped them like a pair of very stupid stones on the boards.

Neko launched onto the leader of the thugs and pulled, swung and then SMACK, landed a solid hit into his nose. Blood shot from his nostrils like a broken faucet and the man fell back, staggering and bouncing off his other cohorts. Grayell laughed and followed, a little too casual perhaps but not at all alarmed.

A barrage of broken-nosed curses erupted from her target's lips but... well. She was still upon him. The other three men were stunned for a moment but one of them gathered enough sense to try and grab for her.

[Neko]

::She smiles inwardly at the satisfying sound of bone breaking beneath her fist, knowing her strike was true. That this man may not know her face, but he would remember her everytime he looked in a mirror for the rest of his probably short and miserable life.

The brief moment she allowed herself to gloat cost her tho as one of the other thugs reached down and grabbed her arm, meaning to pull her off his injurred comrade. Thankfully she recovers herself in time to twist the arm he snatched so she can try and dig her claws into the thugs forearm. If he doesn't let go, she intends to try and pull him towards her and fire a shot at his temple.::

[Grayell]

The now complete with broken nose gang leader falls back, screaming and cursing, much of it rather muffled, choking on blood. His three remaining lackey's were quick to try and help now, Neko tangled up with one and holding his arms as she whapped him upside the head. He falls back, not a disabling blow but enough for her to regain some momentum and hold her ground.

The other two pull knives now, standing in front of the leader and the idiot who just had his bell rung. It was at that moment that Grayell rocked forward and cracked his knuckles, stepping up beside Neko with a snarl.

"Now now, I don't consider that very fair. You idiots are going to end up dead if you're going to play with blades."

They didn't seem to care. Both lunged, one at Neko and one at Grayell.

(Dispatch your enemy as you like, rp it up!)

[Neko]

::She smiles as the man rushes towards her. It felt good to be fighting at her Uncle's side once again.

These thugs obviously had no real training and rarely fought anyone outside of frightened townspeople and each other. Ducking under the attack as it comes, she sends a strong roundhouse kick to the side of the man's knee causing it to bend in an entirely unnatural direction with a sickening crack. As the man begins to crumple, she lets the momentum of her strike carry her forward into a hard punch to his abdomen, the breath knocked out of him in a huff. Finally, as he doubles over from the punch, her body shifts like a piston as she aims a rising strike with the heel of her palm at the poor sap's chin. She can hear the clack of his teeth as his mouth snaps shut and he falls to the side in no shape to continue the fight.

Looking up at the rest of the gang, she shifts smoothly to a ready stance. With one hand outstretched, she becons them forward with a sly look in her eye.::

[Grayell]

Grayell only turned his lead foot a fraction, pivoting on his heel. The knife came in, thrust at his gut and he spun, his body now gone from the path of the attack, his rear leg lifting and whipping about in a wide arc. It snapped down then and caught the thugs neck with the back of his knee, Grayell's hand locking onto the wrist of the hand that held the knife. His foot tucked in and he jerked back on the hand.

"Drop the blade son, I won't ask twice."

The man apparently had plenty of fight left in him, his words were spat out.

"Not bloody likely you piece of sh..."

SNAP.

The idiot screamed as the knife clattered to the boards, the man's elbow snapped in a manner that wasn't going to heal correctly. Grayell dropped him then and kicked the knife into the water. He turned to look back to the leader then and the stunned man who had attacked Neko then.

They were both getting to their feet, not entirely sure what to do. They were fumbling too, trying for something... and then had it. The leader pulled out an interesting tool. He cranked the handle on it and a small flame spat forth from a spark, the man's eyes lighting up.

"Now you've done it! Now you're both gonna burn!"

He handed the tiny flame to his cohort, then scuttled back into an odd stance and started yammering in some nonsensical manner, his eyes on the flame, his hands gesturing madly.

[Neko]

::Her eyes widen in surprise, she had not expected these idiots to have magic.

Throwing herself forward, she hits the ground on all fours and uses all her strength to launch herself towards the man with the flame. Intending to then use the poor unfortunate soul as a springboard to the leader. She only hoped she could reach him in time, and that her error in judgement wouldn't prove fatal.::

[Grayell]

The leader was too quick! He shouted some gibberish and threw his hands forward... and the flame promptly sputtered out with a fizzle. Both thugs looked entirely baffled by their failed 'magic attack', a situation that only worsened when Neko pounced off the first and took to the air, to come crashing on top of the hopeful mage-punk-person.

Grayell would have laughed at the sheer idiocy of the situation, but was busy snapping his hands onto the one Neko had just bounced off of and then throwing him clean over the rail and into the waiting water below.

The leader put his hands up defensively - all too late as Neko landed upon him....

[Neko]

::She did not know why the magic did not work. It might have all been for show, had they not seemed so surprised. Not wanting to give the potential mage another chance, she grabs for any part of him she can reach and tries to use her momentum to flip the last thug. Aiming for one of the crates in the alley.::

[Grayell]

The man lets out an 'urk' as he is lifted clean off his feet, turned and tumbled and finally; thrown into the stack of crates that line the back of the warehouse. Full crates. The crate fares better then he does and he comes to an unconscious halt upon the deck, tongue lolled out of his mouth.

Grayell does laugh then and looks the man over, shaking his head. He finds nothing of use, just some coin and just in time as a pair of sentinel guards round the corner, alerted to the ruckus. They come to a quick halt when they see both Grayell and Neko in their blue hoods, faces concealed.

"Vanguard?"

Grayell stands by Neko and folds his arms then.

"Yes. You can lock these idiots up for assault, disturbing the peace and whatever other charges you can trump up. I'm sure you're familiar with them."

He then looks to Neko and again she can feel him smiling, before he turns and starts to walk away.

"Good day gentleman."

The Sentinels say nothing else but get to doing their job instead.