Just Looking Around

[Albert Wesker]

"Well....I can't say which of you two has the better motive..." Without knowing exactly what was going on with each side, all he could go on was what had been said. And that was no doubt full of at least some lies or witholding of all of the information. "...but I can say one thing." He shook his head, letting out a long, drawn-out sigh. "I'm not really the one to make that kind of call, regardless."

"Ha! Now you know the whole story, you realize it's none of your business, is that it?"

"No, not really. It became my business when I got attacked." Almost as soon as he said it he sheepishly rubbed at the back of his head. "Though, I suppose...I was already involved at that point..."

"I don't CARE!"

Lifting his hands in a gesture of surrender, Kuzan shook his head slowly. "Alright, keep calm, now... Just answer me one question."

A snort answered him, but there was no denial.

"Is whatever was stolen really so valuable you'd chase him down so earnestly and try to kill to get it back, if necessary?"

Another snort met his query, this one much more aggressive. "I don't see how that's any of your business, either. But suffice to say, I've got a bit of a reputation to uphold. Or....a reputation I'm trying to make. Letting little upstarts like him make a fool of me won't exactly help with that."

"Oh, my...I see. So that's the way it is..." Slowly, his ice saber lifted and he jabbed its point toward the "merchant". "I cannot say that this is the right way, but....just working for your reputation doesn't sit well with me, personally." He dropped the saber back to his side. "So I think I'll have to stop you if you don't give up and let this go."

The laugh that met his answer nearly made him step back. It wasn't really that funny, was it...?

"Oh! I get it! You think I'll just go and leave now, just because you asked, is that it? Because you handled those two idiots and think I'll go down just the same if I don't?"

"Not really..."

"Well, tough! I'm not going anywhere until I get what I came here for, one way or the other!"

It didn't really look like just talking things through was going to take care of the situation. It rarely ever did. Especially not with someone being so...immature. But, maybe there was some other solution he could-

"If I can get past you, I won't need to waste any more time here. That idiot can't get away on his own!"

The hooded man leapt forward, the suddenness of the movement catching Kuzan offguard. He was nearly past him before the ice man could bring his ice saber to bear. It came up in a flash of cold light, glinted once, and with a resounding crack, made contact with one of the peculiar horns emerging from the man's hood. The blow was weak and barely served to knock the man off-balance, but it gave Kuzan time to act properly, bringing his free arm whipping around. As the man started to bolt toward his target again, a faint mist of ice flowed from Kuzan's hand. "Ice Pick!"

Caught blindside by the attack, the man was struck several times, his cloak being well-perforated and his hood all but torn completely apart. Either by good fortune or sheer dumb luck, he managed to escape actual injury to his body, only incurring minor scrapes as he hurled himself aside to avoid further exposure to attack. That he was already barely within the attack's range had likely aided his escape from injury.

"I wasn't planning on taking any lives today, you know....I'm still not, really." Slowly, Kuzan lowered his hand back to his side, but this time kept on alert for any more sudden mischief. "It might be for the best if you....uh.... If you..... Ah....I forget."