Malpractice (Fin)

Subject: Malpractice (Fin) Sun Apr 15, 2012 4:17 am

Strike a movement once and it momentarily features on the pre-frontal lobe of a human brain. Strike it multiple times and you are forcing that recall through the hippocampus. This ingrains the gesture into 'long-term' memory, which can then be drawn upon at a person's leisure. The Red-Haired Dragons certainly utilised the hippocampus to great potential. Their katas repeated basics of the martial-art form, allowing them to refine their mobility. It took untold hours of practice before a fighting technique was suitable enough for battle. Maybe years before it could be used effectively.

Caesar had seen everything. A quick observation of the best acquitted, and he could join the gang of crimson hair in step. Bypass the lengthy hippocampus process. The simpletons found it highly amusing. They loved their new mascot. No one questioned where an animal indigenous to South America had escaped from. They just fed and housed Caesar. In return the simian brought a bit of glee into their drab, dreary lives. Not the life an international-class surgeon was use to. But it would do for now.

He had not shared with them his sentient capabilities. Why bother. The only useful information they had to share was in their techniques. A wordless burst of information. Caesar would watch the rigorous drilling for long whiles. Then join the gang on patrol of their territory. Most interestingly he had experienced a battle between them and the East Side Gunz. Observing from afar, Caesar had drank in the muscle improvisations that came with live engagements.

He was sated now. It felt as if these xiaolin rip-offs didn't have anything left to mimic. Caesar was perched outside their warehouse, savouring a mango. The Dragons were inside training to attain the perfection that he'd already witnessed. The thought to jump ship crossed his mind. Grab a pint-sized cowboy hat and turn up at the Gunz door. Steal their quick-draw style.

Subject: Re: Malpractice (Fin) Sun Apr 15, 2012 10:22 am

(OOC: Not sure if you had someone specific in mind...but I think I'll just jump on in...)

Rumors. They run around everyday, whether it was created for bragging rights or for putting others down, they almost always were lies. Nevertheless, when a local gang would start rumors about an intelligent primate on their side, Thr33 thought it would be worth investigating. If it was a lie, which it probably was, then he could just turn around and have nothing wasted but the night...but...if he was right...well...this could be a worthy prize for their little leader.

Espionage was a skill that Isaac actually took great pride in. He did not study many years at fine institutes to learn how to perfect it, he used his abilities to his advantage. So, for this assignment, he used his seemingly useless ability to become a cat. Yes, becoming one of about a hundred creatures in a city that no one paid any attention to was the greatest way to spy.

So, through a dark back alley, an even darker-pelted cat came dashing. Lightly, he padded up the fire escape and silently behind a large...wait, what? It was true! If he had a nickel for every time he had to go and investigate the East Side Gunz for having a bionic silver-steed...well...he'd have about thirty five cents...still kind of a lot of times...

He never even thought what he'd do if one of these rumors ended up being true. "Well...would you just look at that..." he said, wide-eyed followed by a small meow.

He waited for the ape to look over at him as a cat and then back away before he revealed hi natural self, in his full colonial garb and everything. "I just have to admit, I really didn't believe that I could believe anything i heard from the local gangs..." Isaac said with a half smile, showing no fear for the animal.

Guest

A door opened to the room where Caesar and the Red Haired Dragons were. Through this door walked a little girl with yellow hair, blue eyes, and a blue dress. She held a red balloon by a string and had an innocent smile on her face. Oddly, she was shivering constantly.

Jemmy walked up to Caesar, drawing a lot of attention from the gang members. One man walked in front of her. "You're in the wrong place little girl. You better go home."

Jemmy smiled at him. "I'm just here to take that monkey over there. I think he would be a fun pet to have. Now let me by and I will let you live."

The gangster looked at Jemmy with a very confused face. He grabbed her by the shoulder and started dragging her out of the room. Jemmy sighed. "Okay 3, come out and kill them all." She could sense that her little cat was nearby, and she knew he would do what she wanted...if he wanted to live.

Subject: Re: Malpractice (Fin) Sun Apr 15, 2012 5:09 pm

Mango juice dripped into his fiery fur as Caesar finished off the delightful fruit. From inside the building a single-word instruction was shouted. The entire row of Dragons responded in kind. All part of their practice drills. Display, repeat, display, repeat. A method that struck Caesar as woefully inadequate. Throwing the skin remains to the ground, the monkey shimmied along the barrel he was sat upon and eyed the open doorway contemplatively. Maybe he should go back inside now and demand someone fuss him? Humans were ever ready to dole out affection for furred creatures.

At that point someone spoke and Caesar turned his head in the opposite direction. He hadn't heard anyone approach. And rightly so. There was no one there but a soft padded cat. It meowed now, but the voice he had heard could only have emanated from one location. The simian leaned forward on his barrel. Astounding. A talking animal. How is such a thing even... ah. Yet Caesar rationalised, that the chances of encountering another animal having undergone the same brain procedure as he, was slim to none. The find was remarkable.

And more remarkable still. Retreating for the moment into a patch of gloom, the cat was now a human. Caesar's head tipped sideways. Surely he would not be so lucky as to encounter a therianthorpe? They were a marvel of modern genetics, forcing their body through a great degree of metamorphosis. He had only heard about such things by description. The desire to dissect a prime specimen was overbearing.

Caesar began biting at the ticks in his fur as the human went to speak. It certainly sounded akin to the original voice of the cat. That clinched it then. There was a matter worth investigating here. Though not yet at the expense of Caesar's cover. Instead of talking, the primate grabbed at Thr33's hand and chattered, goading the shapeshifter to look at the building doorway. He then let get go and hopped off the barrel, scurrying inside and setting up perch on a stack of low crates. With any luck the man would follow him inside and force the Dragons to detain him. The longer he stuck around, the more opportunities Caesar had to learn.

Yet that plan did not reach its fruition. At roughly the same time from the opposite doorway a female human entered the building. Her path led straight for Caesar who did not move. Just stare back like a dumbstruck animal. For one so young in her species, she made calm, weighted demands. And of course she was manhandled away, the Dragons never before having been a family troop.

Subject: Re: Malpractice (Fin) Sun Apr 15, 2012 7:31 pm

With a sigh, Thr33 mumbled, "Why can't I do my own recruitment...?"

With a dash, he followed his master's orders by bursting through the window after the ape. He drew his rapier and cut two able bodied men before they had time to react and landed on another, placing his hand on his chest and muttering, "Tyromae..." which caused a dark blast to reverberate across his body, his eyes rolling back, accepting his dark fate. Isaac paused for a moment as he thought about how easily he had learned to end three whole lives so quickly. Quite impressive if he did say so himself.

It was then that a dragon jumped towards Isaac, showing off his advanced form and knowledge of karate through many advanced maneuvers. Too bad the kid didn't know that no earthly form of combat could match what he had learned in the magical realms. He almost felt bad for him...almost. As the dragon jumped towards him, fists extended, Isaac dodged the blows with his advanced reflexes. He then allowed the boy to stagger towards the window and kicked him out.

With a small sigh he looked as the remaining dragons began to circle him, the two holding Jemmy now abandoning their positions. Some of them wielded weapons that seemed to make them feel like they had a chance against him...fools. As one dashed to meet him with a staff, Isaac grabbed the staff and snapped it with his advanced strength. The dragon paused, seemingly in shock as he stabbed his enemy with the shards of his own weapon.

A man then jumped forward with a weapon that he was actually unfamiliar with it. It had a metal chain and a piece of wood attached to each end. It was rather interesting how he spun it about...nevertheless it didn't get him any further than the others...

After about a minute or two, only two dragons remained, possibly co-leaders. Isaac could sense the fear in them as they slightly shook while approaching him, both with their own two-handed swords extended, in their own form of dueling. "You offend me." Isaac said with disgust in his voice. "You actually think that you could be a match against me after only having a short lifetime to master your blade? You just made your lives much...much shorter."

He dashed towards the two silently as they met with their own war cries. He decided to toy with them for a while as the clangs of Isaac's rapier and the dragons' katanas met. A wide smirk spread across Isaac's face as the two grew more and more winded. Eventually the flaws in their forms became evident and he grew tired of the game. "Let's end this..." he muttered finally.

With a lunge, he disarmed the men and stuck them both. He quickly pulled out his silver blade and, with a cough, the men fell. Thr33 took out his red clothe to clean his blade of any residual blood on his sabre as he found a place beside Jemmy. "Nice to see you Jemmy. Didn't think I could handle this by myself?" he asked casually.

He looked over his handiwork and cringed slightly. "Oh dear...how messy..." he added with a small smile.

Guest

Jemmy enjoyed watching 3 slaughter the Dragons. It was a waste of good possible minions, but they had declined Jemmy's offer to let them live. She marveled at 3's handy-work as he filled the room with blood.

He asked if she doubted his ability to recruit the monkey alone. "Not at all," Jemmy said. "I just wanted to watch. I got bored being alone at the hideout." Fish couldn't hold a good conversation, so Jemmy had decided to follow her cute kitty into action. "Besides, it's fun to see you work. Now where did that monkey go?"

Subject: Re: Malpractice (Fin) Mon Apr 16, 2012 6:30 am

True to his natural instincts, Caesar had sought solace up high. He was hanging in the rafters curiously gazing at the combat below. The choreography was to die for. He watched tranfixed, and marvelled at the sight. The occasional cat/occasional human, had eloquent form that was unsurpassed by the standard of the Dragons. A true warrior if in muscle memory alone.

The brief displays of magic didn't go amiss either. Caesar hadn't seen magic before. Well, save for that one female, yet still he had no love for it. There was nothing to work out, nothing to document or investigate in those able to conjure a spell. Distantly he hoped the transmogrification was not a result of the same mysticism. Though logic dictated so.

At the battle's conclusion, Caesar scurried back along the support beams. Nimble lunges across the room fixtures soon had him back on the ground. Although the man had just murdered his entire consortium of owners, at the behest of the youngster, he did not believe they meant him any harm. Caesar ran on all fours to the little girl, and then took the upright stance Homo Sapiens had become well known for. He stood smaller than Jemmy.

Caesar coughed once with a polite gesture, “Witnessing that fight was a rare treat. Wherever did you find such a human?” There were no doubts in the monkey's mind as to who was in charge here.

Guest

Oh good, the monkey could talk. He could even stand up and act polite. How cute!

Jemmy giggled at the question. "I have a bunch of humans. They're all really interesting. I believe this one has an offer for you, so make sure to pay close attention."

Subject: Re: Malpractice (Fin) Sat Apr 21, 2012 12:12 am

Giving a look of disgust as Jemmy said that she 'had a bunch of humans', Isaac could not believe that Jemmy was actually taking ownership of him! Like he was her pet and he was the only real human in the room. Yes, at this point Isaac was wise enough to understand that Jemmy was not a human...or at least...not an unaltered one...

But...he still had to do what she said. Jemmy had the power to give him eternal life...she could easily take it away. Sheathing his rapier and strolling over to the two freaks of nature, Isaac thought that his little arrangement with Jemmy was starting to seem more like a curse than a blessing. He needed to find a way out...but how...?

Just before he was about to begin to tell the ape about the Shadow Hand, a curious thought propped into his mind...The SH was growing quite rapidly now and, at some point, they were going to become so numerous that they could really go through with Jemmy's plans. That could happen...or Jemmy could be defeated by taking what she'd created and use it against her...

A dark glow rose deep within Isaac's eyes. A leader would have to rise in the Shadow Hand. Their own mutinous first mate. It couldn't be him, of course. According to his deal, he had to protect Jemmy...but...if another evil genius rose to control the Hand and turn everyone against Jemmy...maybe Isaac could be free...maybe Caesar was perfect for them...

A new found excitement rose to his voice as he began his spiel in his usual proper British-colonial dialect. "You flatter me with your compliment, but, I'm not here to show off my skills. I'm here to recruit your skills. You see, you may not be aware of this, but, there aren't very many primates with your unique IQ." He began, casually walking back and forth, in front of Jemmy and Caesar.

"First of all, I'd like to introduce myself. You may call me 3." He held out his hand to offer a shake. "Myself and Jemmy here, are part of a group of extraordinary individuals who are trying to use our skills to work towards mutual benefits. Now, we would love if you'd consider to contribute your own unique abilities to further our growth and successes. If striving for greatness isn't enough, you can receive a gift from Jemmy. She has a lot of abilities and should be able to grant any want or need that you could conceive. So, what do you say?"

Subject: Re: Malpractice (Fin) Sat Apr 21, 2012 4:44 am

Deep black eyes turned to the human, staring up at him as he began to speak. These strangers really intended to talk with him? Only his creator had ever spoken to him as an equal, well, a subservient equal, to forgive the oxymoron. Not only was there equality, but also a touch of reverence in the human's manner. The prospects this opened excited Caesar. An ally that was not cyborg nor pet owner. Capable of grasping his many machinations.

To the part about other simian geniuses, Caesar nodded knowingly. That same creator had provided him light reading on the subject, as a matter of interest. As far as he could tell, there were a handful of hyper-intelligent gorillas. Though he got the impression that they were smarter than he. Caesar was never bred for his mind but his body. Anything academical picked up after that, was a product of his own rampant studies.

Two small palms grasped Thr33's outstretch hand and shook firm, “Caesar. A pleasure.” Sure he had learned how to handshake, but never had the primate utilised this knowledge before. It was almost moving. After all these years here was finally someone to treat him with the courtesy he deserved. They acknowledged his intelligence, his skills, and ultimately his worth. Was that not all anybody wanted? To be recognised for their achievements?

Not anybody, not Caesar. The prospect of a gift peaked his interest.

“Any want, any need?” He blinked, looking at the girl and then back to Thr33, “Let's not take that sentence lightly. I desire far more than bananas.” True to the nature of the first human Caesar could mimic, he was a greedy soul. The monkey would snatch at life with little consideration for the rights of others, “To list. I want a laboratory. I want medical equipment. I want a steady supply of interesting specimens. A steady supply of humans great in their field of physical expertise.” In not so many words Caesar hinted at his capabilities, “A method of presenting my findings, my theses. Protection from human laws of malpractice. Test subjects. The capability of augmenting my brain via my own digits. And, oh,” A hand touched his chin for a second as if in thought, “some bananas. Proper ones. Your commercial variety, dare I say, suck.”

Guest

Well wasn't someone feeling greedy today? Jemmy giggled. Caesar had asked for a lot. Of course, she could provide it, but she would expect something back in return.

The laboratory she could easily have Shadow Hand obtain. The human test subjects would also be easy to get. Crow or Rock Star would bring them in by the dozens.

Caesar also wanted a way to tell people what he had discovered. He would be welcome to present his findings to the leaders of Shadow Hand, but Jemmy assumed that he would want more than that. She would let 3 deal with that. He was better at figuring out things like that.

Bananas would be no problem, either. The only thing that really concerned Jemmy was the power Caesar had asked for. She didn't quite understand it. He wanted to do something with his brain? And he wanted it to work with his fingers? Obviously, if Jemmy didn't understand the power, she couldn't grant it. She would need Caesar to explain his power in simpler words. She gave 3 a confused look, hoping that he would pick up on it.

There was also the question of what Shadow Hand would be getting for all of this payment. Again, Jemmy would leave it to 3 to find that.

Subject: Re: Malpractice (Fin) Sun Apr 22, 2012 12:38 am

As his little master giggled at Caesar's list of demands, Isaac's eyebrow raised. He would've thought that someone as intelligent as the Hand's newest prospect would realize that, it wasn't the destination, it's the journey. If they gave Caesar all of these things without having him earn them, he would never learn from the hardships he would've had on the way. Since Jemmy was leaving him room to speak, he decided to share his opinion, even if it meant that it might hurt their chances with Caesar. Sure, Isaac asked for a gift, but, his gift was something that one couldn't earn on their own...

"Anything prepared by the general public is inadequate." he began, speaking frankly. "It's true, Jemmy has the abilities to grant every one of those needs, but, might I suggest an alternative? You might learn something from it---and judging by your list, I'm assuming you want to learn anything you can." Isaac looked off at the ceiling before he continued.

"Here's what I have in mind: we supply you with a laboratory and supplies. Test subjects, chemicals, assistants, etc. Then...you develop a way to augment your mental capacity yourself. We are bringing you on because we recognize your abilities, after all. Why don't you prove it to us? You will have a job too. Develop our own technology and anything else we might need. This would be a mutual symbiotic relationship. We don't serve you and you don't serve us, we work together. Then, in time, the Shadow Hand will rise in national influence and you will have earned the respect you desire in the scientific community. Respect from what you have done for us. And we will help get you there."

He turned back to Caesar and held out his hand. "And I suppose we could include some quality bananas...do we have a deal?"

Subject: Re: Malpractice (Fin) Sun Apr 22, 2012 7:20 am

Caesar was silent for the longest of times, almost as if he had reverted back to an animalistic insensibility. When at last he spoke, it was with his usual monotone indifference, “We have a deal.” Gripping the hand again, Caesar's hold was tighter this time, utilising superior simian strength before shaking and letting go, “After all, your offers are generous and you have left me with few...” He glanced at the battle-scarred corpses on the wooden flooring, “Alternatives.”

So he'd not been allowed everything on his list of life goals. The monkey was somewhat irritated but ever careful not to let that show. Who knew what an animal was thinking at the best of times? Not much in his demeanour would have changed. Nothing detectable by a human at any rate. To think the youngster had the power to make all his dreams come true, only to be restricted in these requests. Seems it was something he'd have to earn. Caesar would begin by building up his reputation.

“You won't regret this. I have come into possession of several surgical techniques procured from five of the finest medical minds. Minds that are no longer capable of performing such feats. I can heighten animals to my level of intellect or reduce humans to theirs. Increase aggression receptors, impair cognitive functions, dull or amplify pain or sensory response – create cyborgs. That is a personal favourite of mine. Oh, as well as some boring medical applications.” Caesar crouched down into a more comfortable position, “And this is only my passion. My talents extend to far more many things than stitching people up.”

“For example,” Caesar reached out imploringly at Thr33's rapier, “Gimme.”

Guest

It sounded like Caesar could make some great inventions to help Shadow Hand. He could also be a good medic if any of her toys got hurt. Certainly, those services would be worth his elaborate demands.

"So, he wants to be smarter?" Jemmy whispered to 3. It sounded like everything else was squared away, but Jemmy couldn't grant a power she couldn't understand. She would need to make sure she knew what Mr. Monkey wanted before she gave it to him.

Jemmy didn't want to sound dumb. She was a Lord of Chaos, after all. But she didn't quite know what all the words Caesar was saying meant. It was a good thing she had 3 here to help her.

Subject: Re: Malpractice (Fin) Mon Apr 23, 2012 1:53 am

So, Jemmy doesn't know everything...

A surprised look spread across Isaac's face as Jemmy explained that she didn't understand what Caesar wanted. "Yes...he wants to be smarter..." he said slowly. What a curious creature Jemmy really was! He always thought she was like an adult in a child's body, but it seemed like there were parts of her that were still very young.

A moment later, a large grin spread across Thr33's face. So Caesar had some swordsmanship training? This. He. Had. To. See! He unsheathed his rapier and gave it to the ape. Even if he was foolish enough to turn on them, Isaac was confident that he could overpower him. He was immortal after all!

"Show me what you can do..." Isaac said with a smile.