Soldiers Second, Humans First [Vanguard, Open]

Move. This world resounded through Hayden mind as the shift in the air and his mind immediately turning into a combat state as his enhanced vision was able to easily pick up the person moving at such high speeds at him. You see, since their last encounter Hayden had been training- perfecting his craft persay by meeting the King of Vizards and dealing with an initial battle in the war that had stressed his limits. His mastery over speed and his physical being was ever present as the person approached him- his focus shifting into looking for a opening as their body moved at him. It was time to break down this attack in fractions of seconds, something he could due based off his warped reality of high speed movement and the mastery he held over the mental focus he used quite often to dispatch foes with.

It seemed the person footing was solid able to make quick movements just like him although it seemed to be a tad bit slower or on a lower level than him. Perhaps this was their raw speed without any augmentation but it was still impressive none the less, something worth noting. He was able to discern the gender and familiar aura leading him to believe it was was none other than ‘Miyake’ the battle crazy and hardened sister of the bunch one that he didn’t have the best working or personal relationship with. That could be chummed up to different mentalities.. or perhaps similarities Hayden wouldn’t admit even on his deathbed. He was the one searching and constantly in battle, despite what he said some part deep within him craved to always battle- even in death he needed that rush.

Finally it was worth noting the aiming of the tight balled hard knuckled fist was aimed directly for the center of his face, his nose. The meaning of this could be chalked up to about fifty different things in all honesty but for Hayden, this was simply a way of proving himself when he couldn’t at first. A warrior greeting was what she wanted, nay, demanded from the high ranking official one he would gladly return without haze or hesitation. Afterall. if they where to work together they needed to know the ends and out of each other so much so that he could rely on her in a fight and vice versa. Yet, he knew before he could even begin to accept this or think of that he needed to gain their respect something he was accustomed to by this point. So be it, she would get a glimpse of his power so make her understand- he is her ally but he refused to be pushed down.

The first movement he took was shifting his feeting back to allow for a loose stance something he had developed from studying great fighters such as Kenpachi Zaraki and formulating his own style referred to as Hellhound for short. It was used to fight one handed with his Zanpakutō while utilizing hand to hand combat or vice versa- it could also depend on just Hakuda or Zanjutsu making it quite the force to be used when he is done fully developing it.At any rate once she was within striking range the male would intiate the next level of his counter to her punch at his nose. But first it revolved his left hand coming up, his strength and speed at a level to allow him to counter the punch fast enough to parry it but keep her momentum going forward.
Hayden had simply stepped out of the way rather quickly with a shuffle to his left as well, this would keep the Miyake speed and force going forward but make Hayden be out of the line of fire. This is if he allowed her to keep moving, for as this was happening Hayden right foot kicked forward hooking behind her right foot to essentially trip them and force them into the air at such a quick speed that only those with advanced speed could keep up with his motions. While she went into the air Hayden right hand curled into a tight ball his muscles pulsing as he felt them tightened with raw brute force developed over the past months and years he had spent training. Hayden hand would travel down at insane speeds breaking into speeds so fast that his hand caught fire from the kinetic force of him rubbing against oxygen.

Where the fist was first aimed was a specific point on her body, just under the center of her chest where her solar plexus lay. His focus had pinpointed this area to not only knock the wind out of her but allow for a solid hit to land at least on her torso. The strength behind the attack was easily enough to shatter the ground beneath whether it hit her or not but should it find it’s mark she would be forced down at hyper speeds to be imbedded in the ground. This wasn’t Hayden strongest level of strength or speed but Miyake could easily content with this strength but the true factor behind this was the amount of focus and speed that accompanied the attack something that not many people had like Hayden. While he had the body of a warrior and gladiator he had promised himself to become not only strong but overall physical mastery over his being from the amount of his muscles were used to the complex synchronization his body had with his abilities.

Even if the fist did not land Hayden would have countered the attacked succesfully by using her speed and strength to carry her forward and extending his foot as a way to throw her balance off. This would allow him to gain distance and send her off into the wall he would have been sent into she intended to throw him through from the rawr power she exerted.

Once the ordeal was over Hayden hand would come to wipe back the spikey hair that was slightly unruly from the ordeal, his hazel eyes looking at the Miyake with a almost challenging gaze. It was the gaze of a man that had changed since they last met- one that no longer required respect from his peers. It was the gaze of a man that had accepted what he was and worked to improve what he had- due to this he would not give into another pretty face or a punch that could topple mountains; he had tamed his hollow and death matter powers. He refused to be whipped into submission by this fellow warrior- he didn’t know their story and they didn’t know his but from the fierce strength and speed he exerted while giving her a unwavering stare it was clear her message was across with a reply: I am not a weak person; test me if you want.


He asked his tone not quite sarcastic or disrespectful but more of a legitimate question; where they on equal grounds now. His foot went forward as he bent over slightly to extend a hand should they need to be helped up but it also held a bit of semblance to it- should she take it in Hayden’s mind it represented the strange unity they had formulated. But even if they didn’t need to be lifted up he would still extend the hand for the same purpose.

What a whirlwind of movement; an enterprise of animation. The contrast between the past and present was stark, an attack that would have once done the man in now was left abated as Hayden refused to let her knuckles connect with his face. That alone was good enough, for the kinetic force that rocketed out from her fist now harmlessly passed by and struck the wall behind him with a gust of wind. The plaster was cracked and diminutive shards of paint were ejected from the wall where they cascaded flimsily to the ground. A loud crack sounded in the hallway, drawing the attention of the others toward it, though by the time they managed to catch sight of it, the exchange would already be completed:

While Hayden had already passed, it would seem like he was going for a bit of extra credit, as Kimi noted the beginnings of a counterattack with a little dose of her fighter's insight. Ah, trying to use my momentum against me, a classic, she realized quickly as his foot slid behind her grounded one. In order to worm her way out of this one, she had relieve the right side of her body of her own weight, stamping down with her left foot in and shifting her balance. Rather than work against his tactic, she moved with it, throwing herself into a rapid spin. Her right arm whipped out and smashed into the oncoming burly missile released by Hayden, while her long black hair would snap around and whip him in the face with a potency not too far from the weapon itself. Even the air around her seemed to support her defense, a sudden current drafting around Kimiyo to push the trajectory of his fist away and ultimately blow him away from her.

To conclude, a swift escape, as the woman propelled herself off of her left foot once she was facing away from him. She was but a blur of dark colors as she flew back over the table, tapping the wood with her fingers to send herself into another spin. With impressive momentum she hurled herself back into her rocking seat, causing it to begin falling back, but she'd catch the underside of the table with her foot to stop it midway. All this by the time everybody managed to turned their heads toward the doorway, and Kimiyo relaxed back in her chair as if nothing had happened; though it was clear that nobody here had really fallen for it.

''Only decent, hehehehe...'' she would comment, a wry grin and playful gaze set on her face. Kokoro would bring her hand to her face and chuckle softly, all too familiar with her family's antics. But what has happened would not deter her from welcoming the man as normal. She placed her elbow on the table and her cheek in her hand as she gestured toward Hayden, a smile on her face. While the trio was new to the Vanguard, this was one familiar face to them, and one they could be more comfortable around. Their embarrassing first meeting in the past, they now stood side-by-side as allies, so such things could be forgotten.

''Hoi there, musclehead, nice to see you again. Looks like you got the invitation so go ahead and join us. This is our gift to the people of the Vanguard for welcoming us. Anything you see here, you can have, and just ask if you want more.'' Announcing this seemed to remind them that there indeed was food in front of them, and both Kimiyo and naomi would return to wolfing down their food as normal. Truly, with bodies such as theirs, it was almost entirely expected to have such a voracious manner of eating. Judging from the size of the feast on the table, one could predict the Miyakes had quite a large appetite.

So concluded the hostility between the ‘musclehead’ and the ‘hotshot’ Miyake sister.

Even with the evasion of the first attack the combative sister had to go a step further, moving with a grace that struck the soldier both physically and mentally. Physically it was the hair whipping in his face causing him to grunt shaking his head as he remained focused on her as she managed to make her way back to her seat. Her movements matched each other effortlessly it seemed before taking her seat, looking like a cat who was trying to feign innocence.

None the less Hayden was impressed by their quick reactions followed by how they managed to make it back to their seat gracefully and even getting their own ‘strike’ in. This was one of the impressive powers displayed by one of the Miyake sisters, something Hayden would keep in mind when assigning one or more of them to a mission. Out the outside he was crossing his arms with a slight smirk before shaking his head after being welcomed inside by one the sisters- the name meathead was endearing but not one he would like to be put on his record.

In his mind, just before he stepped into the room, he was currently processing the different ways the Miyake sisters could prove vital in vanguard efforts. Yet, this was the mind of a soldier who held decades under his belt but when it came to simple interaction it seemed that everyday he had to rely on what he learned a sa soldier rather than as a civilian. Some would say Hayden was a soldier first and foremost but with that being said it meant a certain sacrifice of his humanity- a soldier never blinks till the war is won.

He wouldn’t take this moment for granted, it's these rare moments outside of being a soldier or vanguard official that it reminded Hayden that this was what he fought for as a human and shinigami. These rare moments of peace and kindness amongst friends that wasn't determined by borders or birth right but by the simple will to want to improve the lives of others at any cost of themselves. So as Hayden took a seat at the table on the other side of the one who attacked him, besides as strange as it sounded being attacked by her made it easier to sit across from her- like they weren't complete strangers.

“Musclehead huh? I like to think I'm a bit smarter than the average rock.”

It was a innocent enough joke but just as he was about to start making his plate he was momentarily caught off guard by the Miyake’s… Ravenous hunger to say the least. But this was soon back pedaled with a mental slap, considering their strength and energy this was to be expected of people like them- they needed to replenish their energy reserves something Hayden understood completely given his own set of taxing abilities at times. ‘Enough with this pondering- time to eat!’

With those final thoughts Hayden went back to picking out his meal out of the feast of food opened to him, which honestly consisted of a lot of vegetables and beef. Perhaps as a shinigami red meat was bad for him but he would consider this his day off for the time being, hopefully his uniform would still fit after this luncheon. However, between bites he would find some time to actually strike conversation with the sisters.

“So, I don’t think you’ve ever told me what your motivations where for joining? I believe on the rosters ya’ll are all assigned to different divisions.”

Hayden spoke naturally and smoothly much different than the strained voice from earlier, it was the voice of someone who was relaxing and dropping the military etiquette. In fact his southern twang was slipping just a bit but nothing outrageous except for the occasional ‘ya’ll’. Perhaps today each party could learn a bit about their fellow allies.

Hayden found himself the second person in reality to be finishing his food when taking into account the miyake sisters appetite. He was only outclassed by the ravenous Kimiyo who hunger seemed to know no bounds till he saw her physically finish her meal, which was aggressive to say the least. But how could one argue with that, if she was hungry let the woman eat seeing as from what he heard Kimiyo held such a physical prowess it only made sense from a biological standpoint for her to consume as much as she did. It was such a strange thing to think about- back when he was alive there was few humans who could eat so much.

“Far from disappointed. I suppose recently I went on a personal binge trying to better myself. Sins of the past and what not but I’m glad to see more heros out in the world. I’m getting tired of all the Villians just spouting their nonsense about how it doesn’t matter and the world is messed up. Frankly, I’m more inclined to your point of view.”

Ah the sins of the past, how many arrogant and rash decisions had the man made within the past few months before he began to weed himself out of that with his friend Cirno. While Hayden may be one of the more blunt and forceful of the Vanguard having no qualms with killing someone most of the time, it’s different when trying to be the good guy. He needed to work on his restraint but he was doing that in his own way by focusing his energy and time to more productive goals- like making friends with the three sisters.

“All of your reasons to join are valid- if you plan to watch after our dear leader Naomi do me a favor and make sure he’s prepared to enter a war with shadowfall. Again.”

The mild irritation in his voice was present, Hayden was a warrior through and through and didn’t mind going to war at a minute notice. However, he did have a problem when his leader expected to go to war without telling his very people about it.

“It was noble of him to try to do it on his own, but in here we are family. If one person is going to fight in our name for a valid cause then he should have expected us to all jump in. I just wish we would have had more of a notice.”

Hayden briefly forelay on the topic showed his concern for his leader but also the organization as a whole, he couldn’t act his fullest without his leader being there to guide them. It was a bad operation that somewhat had some benefits but between Saiko and Ash things where not great.

“So to keep your hotheaded sister from causing to much damage I can respect that. Though if I have to ‘put her in check’ there is always a perfectly good sparring arena and areas all around here.”

Hayden wasn’t one to back down from a challenge as as he crossed his fingers under his neck with a slight smirk on his face directed to the sister it was evident he was willing to cross fists with her at any time. That included now should she fly over the table and sock him in the mouth. Heh.