Toriko - Gourmet Legacy

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Apparently everyone could handle themselves to some degree. That was all Victoria really needed to hear. Apparently the group consisted of three Chefs and two Gourmet Hunters. A good ratio, considering the chefs also seemed to have some potent abilities of their own. "Honey, I wore so many different things during that part of my life... You could own a hundred things I modeled for all I know." Before she could say anything more, Victoria was interrupted by a soft dinging sound and a voice on the helicopter's intercom. "Good afternoon, Hunters and Chefs. This is your pilot speaking. We are five minutes out from our destination, so if you could please fasten your safety belts, we will begin landing procedures momentarily."

"Looks like we're here, everyone. Well, almost." said Victoria as she clipped the buckle on her safety belt . Soon they would arrive in the domain of their intended prey, the delicious and elusive Crab Pig.

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"Crab Pig sounds like a good addition to the menu. I think I'll go nab a few." said a young man as he walked through a windswept field. "Best do it quick, though. IGO likes them just as much as I do. Can't get caught up in that whole mess again." How better to draw out his prey... than to light a patch of the forest on fire and catch them as they fled from the flames? That was exactly what the young man did.

"Flame Broiling: Medium Rare!"

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About a minute after the pilot made the announcement they would arrive soon, the pilot came back on the intercom. "Well, folks... it seems like there's a fire near the landing zone. I see a few crab pigs actually fleeing the flames right now. Um... we can still land safely, but you might want to act fast." Anyone who looked out the windows of the helicopter would see the unpleasant scene below. Parts of the forest were up in flames and the fire was spreading quickly. Many creatures were fleeing the forest. Crab Pigs, Alfredogs, Choco Cicadas, and even some large Tea Frogs.

Victoria tore off her seatbelt and rushed to the door. Throwing it open, a rush of smoke and the scent of smoldering timber blew into the passenger area. "Well... looks like we got our work cut out for us. Didn't expect a forest fire to be part of this job." the helicopter landed about thirty seconds later and Victoria hopped out and walked a few steps toward the flames. "So... how do you guys think we should go about this? Just rush in and grab one or two if we can manage it?" Frankly, Victoria was no stranger to fire. Her lightning-based abilities had sparked a blaze or two over the years. However, that didn't mean she liked the idea of rushing recklessly into a forest fire.
 
Jinsei had already noticed the smoke by the time the pilot decided to alert his passengers. It was kind of hard to miss if you bothered to look out of a window. He wondered just how the fire had begun, seeing as the weather didn't indicate thunderstorms or anything of the sort. Could there be some other foolish Gourmet Hunter, or hunters, who'd decided the best way to hunt ingredients was to destroy their habitat? Wasn't that illegal? Like, highly illegal? Either way, Jinsei had risen from his seat when the helicopter had begun its descent. He didn't quite like the thought of some poor animals' environment burning to the ground, and to him, the salvation of the forest was more important than how many fire pigs the group could capture. Well, maybe there was a way they could do both.

"I say we split up. While unlikely, there might be a way to stop the spread of the forest fire while whoever else tries to capture a pig or two." Jinsei responded to Victoria in earnest. He doubted any members of the group expected him to show such sympathy to ingredients, but hey, you couldn't cook something if aforementioned thing went extinct. Plus, what kind of monster wants to see an environment go up in flames? Jinsei sure wasn't a pyromaniac. "Though, on that front, does anyone have any bright ideas? Since I doubt our pilot has hydrokinetic powers or a fire extinguisher big enough for that." Jinsei was already out of the jet by the time his compatriots managed to reply, since he figured he at least needed to survey the area before coming up with some sort of plan.
 
Seeing as they arrived at their destination, the smoke and fire was clearly not a good sign to Hitomi. Watching the other's reactions and seeing Victoria and Jinsei already make their move out of the aircraft, Hitomi groaned quietly as she looked at her own outfit, "Looks like I'll have to be careful with this after all.. Mom'd kill me if I got this ruined." Giving an uncomfortable huff, the redhead then listened to what Victoria and Jinsei had said before, thinking it through for her own opinion. Hopping off the aircraft to catch up with them, she looked around with a gentle frown, "As much as I'd really hate seeing this place go up in fire, is there really anything we can do to stop it? I don't know if there'd even be any emergency responses to make it in time by the time they notice the smoke. Still..."

Crossing her arms, Hitomi sighed quietly before she moved her hands behind her head, pulling her hair up. Pulling a band from off her wrist, she started tying her hair up. While it didn't really look like it'd fit her style or even help much with how much hair she did have, it at least kept her hair from getting in front of her at all. "I mean, unless there's a way to spread a ton of dirt maybe.. If we don't act soon, we'll have no pigs left in this area, let alone a forest.." While dismayed by the entire ordeal, Hitomi understood that she had a job to do. "Whichever we're going to do, I'll do my best for either task you guys think I'd be best for.."
 
Odis had been nervously eager for this mission since the group had finished their introductions. He wasn't sure if his wings and sauce could effectively help bring down a Crab Pig (without either roasting it or splattering its brains out, anyways), but he had more than enough strength and speed to at least serve in some way. Even so, just from looking out the window, Odis didn't need the pilot to tell him that something was wrong. Smoke was circling up into the air at a rather alarming rate, and where there was smoke, there was fire. The forest was on fire? Odis didn't know how the dense woods could have simply caught ablaze on such a breezy, cool day as today, but the cause of the fire didn't matter to him. As the copter landed, Odis was out just after Victoria, taking in the heat and smoke in earnest. This was going to be a rough one.

He was about to respond to Victoria when Jinsei piped up, voting to try and save the forest, then go for the Crab Pigs. Odis's brow furrowed; this was a terrible idea, at least to him. He took a few steps towards the smaller man, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Look, pal. The fact that the forest is up in flames bothers me just as much as you, but none of us have the skills, resources, or power to stop that blaze...it looks like it's spreadin' way too fast. And even if we DID get it to stop....the Crab Pigs'd be gone by then. We were hired to catch Crab Pigs, not stop a forest fire. Let the IGO handle this mess, we've got to focus on the job." Odis let go of his teammate then, moving to stand by Victoria's side. "Whatever you got planned, I'm onboard. I've got enough power to at least cripple 'em and be a distraction, if not take 'em down."
 
This was no time to argue about what needed to be done. Fact of the matter was that ANYTHING needed to be done, and nothing was going to happen like this. With an exasperated grunt, she addressed the team of quarreling hunters. "I'm tired of talking! I say we go with Mister Fancy's idea and split up. You guys can handle the mystery of the fire. As for me? I'll skip the frying pan." Without any other words, Henri undid her seatbelt, opened the door, and jumped out of the not-so-airborne craft.

"I'm going straight into the fire! It's time for the Lunch Rush!" Her Gourmet Cells began doing their magic, heightening her speed and reaction times. It was all she needed. Now she was running alongside the stampede of animals trying to get away. On her right was one of the Crab Pigs they needed to capture. Hold on... Were they allowed to kill these things again?... Huh... That is a little important.

She needed more time to think about it, and her speed boost was going to end soon. Her best option was definitely to ride the large beast beside her. With the last of her enhanced agility, she lept onto it's back, trying to find a way to take control of it. No reins made this a problem. Ears maybe?... Worth a shot. "Hang in there buddy!" She took one ear in each hand. The creature squealed in surprise, but soon yielded itself to the young girl's command. She took out her trusty spaturifle ready to kill or disable the beast as needed. Though first she needed to remember. Was she supposed to kill them?

"... Whatever." A shot was fired, and a beast was felled. Not her mount of course. No she needed it to keep up with the others.
 
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Victoria was in a state of shock. The forest was ablaze and many creatures were running for their lives. THAT wasn't what shocked her, however. As Jinsei said, there were no lightning storms in the area that day that could have sparked the blaze. Similarly, as this was part of a Biotope, no public camping was allowed... and that ruled out a careless hiker letting a campfire getting out of control. Lastly, there were no creatures in this region capable of setting a forest alight. That left one real option: A rival hunter setting the fire on purpose. The thought mortified her. Why the hell would someone cause such destruction on purpose? Even mass-murderers didn't wantonly destroy the environment they killed in, so why would a hunter destroy the environment of his or her prey?

Henri's bold move brought Victoria back to reality. Following suit, she rushed out of the helicopter and to the site of the kill. "Good kill, Henri. Took it down clean and painlessly." she said as she turned back to the chopper. "We need to get this into the cargo hold, everyone!" ... the roar of the flames was hard to shout over, but she made doubly sure her voice was heard before turning back to Henri. We only need the one. Let the other animals go. We don't need to risk our lives any more than we need to take their lives. Let's g-" a humanoid figure in the flames caught her eye as she spoke. Chills ran down her spine at what she saw. Out of the flames walked an adult male, unfazed by the heat of the burning forest.

"My, oh my. I'm afraid I can't let you take that animal." said the man as the flames around him died down. "I've had a craving for them lately, and I was planning on taking that one home with me." the gauntlet on his right arm was engulfed in fire that was every bit as intense as the blaze that had been consuming the forest before he arrived on the scene... and the man smiled wide before speaking again. "So would you kindly step away from my quarry? If you do, this won't erupt into violence." The forest fire was dying quickly now that its flames were not being fed by the man's powers, and the hot cinders crackled and sputtered as the flames guttered out.

Victoria looked at her allies as she took a couple steps back. She was in a very defensive posture, feet apart and knees braced... ready to either run toward or away from this new danger. What would her co-workers do? Would they back down like the stranger said to do? Would they defend their catch and soon-to-be reward from the IGO? Who even WAS this guy? Victoria was used to knowing what was going on, so she was very nervous about this whole thing. In light of it all, the man was still walking forward at a slow but steady pace. He'd soon be upon them... and what came next depended on the actions of these rookie IGO Employees.
 
Of course it was a clean shot. The target is like ten feet tall, and (at the risk of sounding conceited) she's an excellent shot. And the the power of her rifle had a major part in it. Now as Victoria ran to transport the kill, Henri was working on calming down her mount. She soon came to a halt right beside her companion. Victoria's gaze fell upon something within the flames. And she seemed scared by it. Curious to the cause of her thousand yard stare, Henri turned to see the figure walking through the dying flames

So he's the cause of this fire? Pretty sure that's illegal(Not to mention a rather ineffective" way to hunt for ingredients. This guy had a bit of an edgy feel to him. It made Henri mad. Not sure why, but this guy... He's just a dick. Henri had to step it up alright. She jumped down from the Crab Pig, and took a few steps towards the mysterious man before her.

"Ooooh, you one of those, can't handle the heat, get outta the kitchen sorta guys? I'm quivering in my boots. But I'm gonna warn ya: I'm about to get fired up myself!"

She gestured to the fallen beast behind her

"Now this was my kill. I plan to keep it that way."

One hand hovered over her pistol, while her other towards her rifle behind her back
 
There was something Hitomi just could not describe. Sure, it was of good luck they came across their ingredient already and it was captured all and good, but.. With the forest ablaze and what had happened afterwards with their unprecedented meeting with this shady man before them all, Hitomi could not shake this feeling of danger. She had a feeling she was not alone in this as well, wondering how everyone else was to go about it. Henri had made the first declaration towards the man, and although Hitomi likely shared in Henri's point of view, something was telling her this was too dangerous. Even so, she made a decision to act. Turning around and looking like she was heading back for the chopper, Hitomi took a long breath as she quietly walked for the aircraft, heading inside and out of everyone's view.

~Looks like it really is going to be serious.. Well, whatever the case I won't leave that girl to it alone. Whether the others run or not, well.. That may not be that bad of an idea if they do, it may get our haul out of harms way. Still, this man... With it coming to this, mom would still kill me if I ruined this outfit~ Thoughts were running through the redhead's mind as she looked to undress from her suit, reaching for her bag that was still on one of the seats. It was about thirty seconds she took to ready herself, likely time enough for any of the others to act or say something as this mysterious man was before them. The suit now tucked away and her attire changed, Hitomi's hair was now loose from the ponytail she had it in since they met at the restaurant. Changing into a pair of shorts, shin-high boots and a sports top and jacket, she slipped on a pair of fingerless gloves as Hitomi stepped out back into view from the helicopter.

Whatever may have happened outside in the short time she took to do so, she was ready to jump in herself. She still could not shake the fear she was feeling and she was certain the others had either thought she may have chosen to run away, or to realize when she came back to why she'd waste her time changing. To her, the answer was simple; she was afraid of what may happen very soon, but she was just as afraid of what her mother may do. Naivety at its best but there she stood as she started to make her approach, "Starting a wildfire just to weed out a few crab pigs.. The habitats and creatures you may have harmed and destroyed by this fire, all for the sake of feeding your hunger for one creature? That's quite selfish and inconsiderate don't you think? Pretty unfair for all those that shouldn't have been involved.."

Taking up a position on the 'frontline' between the man and everyone else, Hitomi took a breath as she took a stance, feet shifting as her fists raise loosely, "As far as I'm concerned otherwise, this one is ours.. For the other wildlife, I wouldn't mind giving them their payback to you." What she was saying was clearly bold in the situation but it was pretty likely no one knew just how dangerous this man may be or what will happen next. ~Fire.. That's going to be pretty dangerous for me, but I won't just back down.. Despicable, that's the only word I have for him..~
 
Jinsei had remained silent while his compatriots made their way around him. He'd been visibly upset by the unnecessary physical contact from Odis and placed a hand on his brow when Henri leapt into battle. Apparently one of his new peers wasn't big on talking, but outside of that, his mind was busy contemplating and forming ideas, any ideas, as to how they could preserve the forest habitat of their preordained target. That was, until Henri had, rather impressively, killed a crab pig only moments after their rather short and one-sided conversation. Jinsei was in the middle of walking towards the deceased beast before an all too ominous figure emerged from the inferno.

Jinsei's eyes caught the man's right arm, and more specifically, his gauntlet. It didn't take an experienced hunter to realize that the flames themselves seemed to be shrinking after the emergence of this stranger, and that made Jinsei nervous. Not to mention the fact that his aforementioned gauntlet was on fire. Sure, the Gourmet Hunters might have outnumbered him, but the man in question didn't back down, he even seemed to be smiling. That was bad. Then something happened that caused Jinsei to practically jump out of his shoes. Henri and Hitomi worked up the nerve to actually challenge him.

Internally, Jinsei wanted to do nothing more than just get into the helicopter and leave, but assuming his fellow hunters would do the same was particularly unwise, and he couldn't just up and let them get themselves killed. So, Jinsei forced himself to crack a smile and continue his pace to the site of confrontation, stepping in between Henri and Hitomi, he brought his arms out of his pockets and laughed nervously. "I have a better idea." He took a couple more steps than necessary to pronounce himself to the newcomer.

"As my colleague said, we only need the one Crab Pig." Jinsei let his arms fall back to his sides. "The rest are yours after we get out of here." the young chef motioned with his thumb back to the helicopter they had used to arrive. Better to avoid the conflict for now and report the arsonist to the IGO once they got back to Gourmet Town. This wasn't what they were getting paid for, and frankly, it was far above what Jinsei perceived to be his pay grade.

'Please for the love of Acacia, don't say anything.' contrary to what he was sure it looked like, Jinsei wanted the man responsible for the fire to get his, and he'd make damn sure to let the IGO know about what transpired, but he feared the thought of being burned to death due to his colleague's bravado far more than the ire he was no doubt earning for himself in the group's eyes.
 
Even with the forest on fire, there were Crab Pigs running around, and even as they were trying to formulate a plan, Henri just jumped on top of things, literally. With an expert shot, a Crab Pig was downed, and their job was finished, so it seemed. They could always get more for more pay, but one was all they needed, right? Victoria sure seemed to think so; there wasn't much reason to be risking their lives here any further. Odis patted the Crab Pig; it was a fine specimen, and would make some delicious food that he hoped he could partake in.

But even as he prepared to help haul the creature to the cargo hold, a voice caught his ears that immediately made his hair stand on end. As he peered into the flames, he saw a man emerge from them, completely uninhibited by the heat and smoke. Just the mere appearance of the man sent fear ripping through his spine; this man was very powerful, far out of even Victoria's league. As the flames fizzled out behind him, something became clear to Odis: HE made that forest fire. He demanded their Crab Pig....

Odis noted that Henri and Hitomi reacted rather offensively, while Jinsei was rather submissive. One thing remained common to them, however: They were defending their catch. Odis glanced at the man again and lowered his arms, showing no sign of resistance. To be honest, it didn't seem to matter if they defended their catch...if a forest was no issue for him to destroy to get a single Crab Pig, what were five fledgling Gourmet Hunters? Odis had no choice at this point. If they were going to defend their catch, then he wasn't going to flee like a little child...Odis gulped and stood by the Crab Pig, ready for anything. If he was going to die, he wasn't going to let himself just be a sitting duck ready for cooking, at the very least.

"Guys," he whispered to Hitomi, Victoria, and Henri. "This guy decimated a forest just to get these pigs. We're nothing to him and don't stand a chance. Be REALLY careful what you're doing." His last attempt to bring sense to them would likely go unheard to them, but it was at least worth a shot....
 
Two of her allies wanted to fight, two of them wanted to cut their losses and run. Victoria was of the same mind as Jinsei and Odis at this point. Odis' remark about the guy destroying a large forest and the fact that rookie hunters were nothing by comparison really hit home. She didn't want to die before taking down the ingredient that her father couldn't. "I'm with Odis and Jinsei here. We can get another payday, we CAN'T get another life to live." Not the most eloquent way to say 'We need to run', but more than enough to get the point home.

The intimidating man smiled as the other Gourmet Hunters talked about what to do. If nothing else, Takeya enjoyed watching the mixed reactions they had in response to his ultimatum. But now they had all voiced their opinions and it was time for action. "So I am cruel for using my capabilities to hunt? Is a lion cruel for using its claws to break a gazelle's hip before killing it? Is a bear cruel for catching salmon while they swim in the shallows? No. I am merely making use of my skills, like any predator." Flames flickered across Takeya's skin as he spoke. It was all too evident that he was getting irritated with the IGO-employed hunters.

Just then, a large creature burst through the smoldering trees and rushed directly at Takeya. It let out an angry roar and opened its massive jaws to consume the arsonist. "A Chicksaurus, huh? Sorry, I'm not hungry for YOU! Flame Broiling: Medium-Well!" A huge gout of fire shot from Takeya's left hand and completely engulfed the attacking animal. Another roar, this one pained and weak, came from the Chicksaurus... and then the monstrous creature fell.

Takeya had made sure not to take his eyes off of the Gourmet Hunters, and kept his right hand pointed in their general direction so as to dissuade them from trying anything. Once again, he spoke to them. "I have a proposal. I take that Crab Pig, and you may take this Chicksaurus. As I am sure you're aware, this trade is weighted heavily in your favor. A Chicksaurus is quite a bit more valuable than a Crab Pig, and more difficult to capture." This would be his final attempt to spare their lives. There was a limit to Takeya's patience, and he had no time to dawdle here while the IGO employees made their choice.

Victoria's jaw dropped when the man took down a Capture Level 32 Chicksaurus in no time flat. Granted, CL32 wasn't SUPER-high, but it was definitely nothing to sneeze at. "Guys... we need to take this offer. If he can do that, what hope do we have? He's right, too. That Chicksaurus is worth more. Even if we don't get as big of a cut, it'll still be a payday." There was no hiding the sense of fear in her voice, as she knew this man might just kill them all if the mood struck him. They needed to get out of there as soon as possible.
 
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Hitomi hissed under her breath as her eyesight never left the man. She was surprised like anyone else about the chicksaurus but her attention was towards Takeya. She didn't like it but the others were right. None of them would have been able to take down a 32 yet, even together maybe, but that's a matter for another time. Balling her fist, Hitomi looked between the others, the chicksaurus and the man, feeling a mix of anger, disgust and most of all, defeat. Turning around, she shut her eyes as she walked closer to her group, "Very well.. Fine... Henri, I'm sorry. There's always more to catch as long as another day starts." Her voice was soft but what she was feeling was hidden underneath. "Let's just take the chick and go..."

Looking towards the now fallen beast, Hitomi grit her teeth as she walked straight towards it, eyes watchful of Takeya. Looking back at the others, and the crab pig, Hitomi wondered who would be the last to move away from it. Probably Henri, but even Hitomi was still apprehensive about all of it. She didn't want to back down but everyone knew they were out of their league with this man. Even Victoria. Looking at the chicksaurus, taking this was a sign of their defeat, but as much as it is hard to swallow, it's better to live another day. Yeah, to live and get stronger, strong enough to face people like that man head on, with or without help. That was Hitomi's new decision: if she was going to be with this team even longer, she wanted to be able to protect them, to rely on them. "So who's going to help?..."
 
Odis had already chosen not to fight this guy, and thankfully the majority agreed with him, but clearly Hitomi and Henri's resistance irked the guy on the opposite side of the burnt area. He seemed to be losing his patience, based on his monologue. How typical of a villain, he mused. Give a speech before destroying his enemies, only to be saved at the last second by...

Almost as if in response to his thoughts, a roar echoed through the burnt forest as something that made Odis stare longingly burst onto the scene: a Chicksaurus. These creatures were rare to be seen in Odis's Place, but when they did, the bar always sold out in a hurry. Their wings were large enough to feed a hundred men for almost a week, and the soft, succulent meat blended perfectly with more than one of his family's sauces or spices. This was a treasure among bar ingredients. Still, with a capture level in the 30's, it was no easy task to catch one.

Numbers seemed to have no effect on their mystery enemy, however. The man merely made a single move, and just like that the mighty poultry collapsed in a slightly charred heap. Odis wept for the best, furious that the man would kill it without eating it in turn. It had died with no purpose...or had it? The man made an interesting proposition: Trade the Crab Pig for the Chicksaurus. Odis nearly leapt a mile high and bolted over to the beast just hearing the words. The capture level difference was astronomical...by his standards, at least. Still, they had been charged to get a Crab Pig...would their employer accept this substitute?

Odis's mind was more than made up. "Man, I could whip up some incredible wings with that beauty," he said to nobody in particular. He was more than ready to make a trade, and even Hitomi seemed to grasp the situation at last, which made Odis sigh with relief. All that remained now was Henri. Odis glanced apprehensively at his comrade, worried for her sake; they had just seen firsthand the awing capability of their adversary...if she still wanted to fight after that, she was more than clearly insane.
 
It was one thing when a guy just up and walked out of fire towards you, but it was another thing entirely when aforementioned guy outright slaughters a Chicksaurus right in front of you with one move. With a capture level of 32, theoretically speaking, the Chicksaurus was worth four times a single crab pig. Jinsei weighed the options in his head for a few seconds before his teammates spoke up, and he couldn't exactly say they were wrong. While he expected they'd get chewed out by the IGO for not retrieving their assigned target, but it's always better not to show up empty handed, right? Not to mention they had a hell of a field report to file.

"Yeah, well, I doubt our employers are going to let you do anything with it." Jinsei responded to Odis while he made his way towards the downed Chicksaurus, averting his eyes from the beast's conqueror as much as possible. All they needed to do now was load the thing up in the helicopter and get the hell out of there before the mysterious stranger changed his mind and killed them.

The amateur chef gave the creature a once over. After a few seconds, he came to one outright conclusion; there was no way they were going to be able to fit that behemoth into the cargo hold of the helicopter they flew there in. Heck, Jinsei pondered whether or not a commercial chopper would even be able to take off with something so massive hitched to it. Sighing to himself, he cracked his knuckles for no particular reason and knelt next to the downed beast's center. Placing his right hand near the creature's chest, Jinsei could feel the slight tingling of his gourmet cells when the Chicksaurus began to shrink. The process didn't take particularly long and after only a few seconds, the carcass was no bigger than that of a Chicksaurus hatchling.

Raising from his position, Jinsei took a second to admire his work before addressing no one in particular, "We should probably get out of here now."
 
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