Central City // Abandoned Church (Kraven)

Though it may seem this was the only sanctuary people could get, that's not the case. The church has seen some bad times, the decaying wood and small weeds growing from the floor boards, the stained glass windows broken with the shards scattered about the floor. The pews are darkened with dirt and grossness. This place has seen better days. Under the church are small rooms, most likely for confessions or viewings, now converted into homes for some people, although right now, it's abandoned.

Scarecrow
The Madness
Scarecrow's Theme - Disciple of The Orochi

Between the new night vision mask and Atlas' experienced survival instincts in the back of his mind Scarecrow had little difficulty following Zombie's tracks... the man did carry Eve and she did struggle against him on the way there... his footprints diverged every so often, she didn't give up... Scarecrow climbed on the side of building walls following the tracks jumping from one corner of a building to another as he went along until he came to an abandoned cathedral... he climbed up the side of it and looked into one of the windows too high to normally see out of it... They're not here M'lady! He jumped down from about 20 feet up right next to Jack... But they were... the tracks leaving are much more recent than the ones entering, I almost lost them but they seem to have taken a brief moment here before moving on... I think they're near by... Also I felt Atlas stir not too long ago in the back of our my mind, I don't know when he'll be up. He flickered then groaned in incredible pain, it's not as cold in here as it was during his brief coma but he's still not doing well.

Scarecrow
The Madness
Scarecrow's Theme - Disciple of The Orochi

Scarecrow's head was hurting but they still needed to find the HQ... I'm alright Jack dear... I intend to find the people who did this to Atlas and hurt them... however it may be better if we grab some back up first, we're no longer hunting just one man, there are at least 5 of them, our assailant, the family's assailant, the other two from the market miss Mio ran into and then their employer... I don't think we're enough to defeat them on our own... we should regroup with the others of Vulture... Also if Atlas wakes up he'll be disoriented for some time... we don't want that in the middle of battle... We should head out before the tracks fill, then regroup... EXIT W/JACK

 


Kraven
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Kraven walked into the abandoned church, his cut off arm tied, this was his little hangout from the good old days. The man just took a stroll through the place, whistling a familiar tune as he walked into the center of the church hall. His originally neutral expression changed to a small smile, which slowly grew into a wide maniacal grin. This place brought back good memories. So many sweet dreams, eventful blessings, and beautiful moments. The man walked up to the decayed podium to address his nonexistent flock, which he ironically had just blown up "Survival of the Fittest... that is the one law we living beings live by. We can latch onto such ideals as charity, kindness, and humility... but in the end these are just illusions we hold over other human beings to drag others down. The strong live... and the weak perish... and what right have others be to stand in my presence...? I AM THE APEX OF LIFE ITSELF! PERFECT PERSONIFIED! So why don't I paint the world in my perfect image...? In the end it'll all benefit humanity, am I not making it stronger by hunting down its weak!? I deserve this, and so does humanity! CHEERS FOR PERFECTION! AAAMMMMEEEEEEEN!" of course, the blonde was met with nothing but silence, which is exactly what he wanted. He didn't need others anymore, he was beyond the rest of humanity now. And speaking of now... it was time to do exactly as he intended to do... he cared not for Ross' and Jolyne's vision of taking this city, he only wanted to have fun now. And what better way than to play a game?
(EXIT)

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"DEATH IS MY FATHER, MY BROTHER, EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD TO ME!!!"   
Kraven Theme - Holy Diver

 


Kraven
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Kraven walked back into the abandoned church "Ah... so many memories~" Kraven hummed, spinning around some before walking back down the halls of the church "Back when my little Deathworshippers were still a cult... I used to hold so many sermons here... oh how they grow up~!" and by grow up, he meant get dead. Kraven walked over to a nice chair he had propped up at the end of the hall, plopping himself down on it (he made sure he had gotten an extra large chair for him to sit on) and look to Ryder "People are sheep Ryder... you need to understand... fear not the wold leading the sheep... but the sheep leading the wolves..." Kraven got himself comfortable in his chair "Its funny... really... I TRY to warn you as much as I can before I die... I warn you AGAIN AND AGAIN about THEM- and you just DON'T LISTEN! Instead of stopping THEM like I told you, you continue to get yourself in meaningless struggles with the likes of The Family and Ross! You need to understand that it was YOUR IGNORANCE that brought me back! THE WORLD NEEDED ME! I SHALL NEVER DIE AS LONG AS I'M NEEDED!" Kraven rose back up from his chair, pointing his arm to Ryder "And YOU... YOU and all of Vulture Team, are but FALSE PROPHETS preaching LIES AND DECEIT! DO YOU FANCY YOURSELVES THE HEROES?! THE SAVIOOOORS!? I see liars and thieves..." Kraven began to circle Ryder "The SHEEP that call themselves.. heheh... THE TRUST! They manipulate EVERYONE! Make them part of THE GAME! You and me... we're just chess pieces in a much larger war! But I'M BREAKING FREE FROM THEIR CHAINS, YEAH! And it starts with your death... They... THEY HAVE EYES EVERYWHERE! They manipulate us all... the masses, whether they be wolves or sheep... THEY ARE LEAD BY THE SHEEP! IT'S TIME FOR THEM TO WAKE UP! TO WAKE UP! THEY NEED TO WAKE UP FROM THE LIE THEY'RE LIVING IN! WE'RE ALL TOOLS TO -THEM-!" Kraven looked down on Ryder, slowly getting closer as he circled him "The world is deteriorating between their does... before their very eyes... and they do NOTHING about it... They just stand there... they whisper and wonder but do NOTHING about it..." Kraven stomped on the ground, causing the entire flooring to shake, and for but a moment it looked like the entire floor would cave in on them. Luckily enough it held, for now "But... BUT BUT BUT...! I'VE SEEN IT ALL IN MY DREAMS! And above everything else I UNDERSTAND: I AM THE SAVIOR THAT WILL FREE THIS WORLD FROM ITS SHACKLES..." Kraven's expression then suddenly changed from one of excitement to a cold, deadpan glare "Me... not you..." Kraven then tried to grab Ryder by his throat and lift him up. He simply wanted to snap Ryder's throat in two, quickly and effectively.

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"DEATH IS MY FATHER, MY BROTHER, EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD TO ME!!!"   
Kraven Theme - Holy Diver

Ryder Mercy
The Boss
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"I guess it's true what they say...you never know how strong you are...until being strong is the only choice you've got."
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The church didn't feel nearly the same as it had that day all those months ago. The air in here felt much heavier--and as Kraven walked down the aisle towards the throne at the end, Ryder stood his ground at the other end of the room, near the door, waiting as Kraven spoke. As the monologue went on, Ryder took a few more steps in, moving nearer to the center of the room, stopping as he saw Kraven rise, putting himself on guard. He kept his eyes fixated on Kraven as the man circled him, turning when he had to in order to face the man. He wanted to make the point very clear that he was not the prey here. Or at the very least--he wouldn't let himself be the prey. He didn't offer the man much of a reply--simply kept a tight grip on his bat. Finally, as Kraven stopped moving, and his facial expression changed, Ryder grimaced, noting the switch. Something was about to happen--and happen it did. As Kraven's hands shot forward, Ryder darted back at the last second--Kraven's fingers snapping up the collar of his jacket. Ryder grimaced, squirming his way out of the garment before he could be lifted and backing up a step or two, the old floors creaking under his feet.
"We'll just see about that, Kraven..." he spit out the name as if it was acid on his tongue. The face that he saw before him undeniably belonged to the man who had called himself Yuri that one dawn--but the persona behind it was most definitely Kraven. There was no holding back now. No regret, no fear...none of those things could be afforded. He hesitated for a moment to observe their surroundings. His eyes eventually fell upon the man before him. Speed was the key here, not power--which honestly, wasn't always Ryder's strong suit. But he had to try. This wasn't someone that he could just bash over the head and be done with it. At this point, he wouldn't be surprised if the metal bat would snap over the blonde's head, if he did try...He took a moment, then spoke again, "You could have been the savior. That's in the past now--you passed on that duty. It's mine now, Kraven. You may be a huge, drugged-up giant now, but...I've survived this long, and I don't plan on stopping. So...like you said, let's end this." Ryder backed up a few paces, seemingly planning his first mode of attack. He had taken note of Kraven's ridiculous height earlier--and figured that now, he might be able to do something he couldn't do before. This was about speed, he reminded himself. Speed...
Suddenly, he dashed forward, gripping his bat in both hands and moving his arms backwards as if to strike at Kraven's midsection--but as it turned out, this was just a feint. In that moment, he let his feet skid--dropping down into a slide between Kraven's legs; only the blonde's increased height allowed this. He pulled his bat in close to his body as he went, releasing one of his hands and reaching for his belt, grabbing one of the baseball grenades off it and pulling the pin with his teeth, dropping it as he went under the blonde's legs, letting the explosive sit by Kraven's feet. Feeling a few splinters from the old floor, the back of his shirt covered in dirt, Ryder quickly made to get up into a crouch, having put some distance between himself and the blonde, poised to move, should Kraven try to strike again. "Play ball."

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Ryder's Theme - Burn My Dread

 


Kraven
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"WE WILL SEE! WE WILL SEE FRIEND!" Kraven yelled back out, a smile on his face as Ryder made some distance between the two of them, he reminded Ryder of a mouse, and in his mind, that was what became of Ryder, he had become a mere pest to him. He was nothing to a god. He kept his glare fixated upon his rival, a small, happy smile on his face as he did so. As always Kraven was having the time of his life "BWAHAHAHA! COULD!? I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THE SAVIOR! YOU FOOL YOURSELF RYDER! YOU ARE BUT A FALSE PROPHET! I AM THE ONE AND TRUE RELIGION! I AM PERFECTION, I AM A GOD!" and as Ryder charged him, it was obvious the blonde was already poised to strike. falling for the feint, he threw a straight punch towards Ryder when he believed the red head would attack his midsection. The giant's punch seemed to send a shockwave through the room, just from the mere punch being thrown. Luckily, Ryder had completely ducked behind his strike, leaving a present behind. Kraven looked down on the grenade "Mere toys..." he whispered, before stomping on the grenade, the explosive going off under his feet yet doing no harm but leaving a hole in the wall which Kraven quickly lifted his leg up from. He turned back to Ryder, hearing his taunt. This only caused the madman to open his arms up "Heh... HA... BWAHAHAHAHAHA! I welcome this war... I AM WAR!" Kraven then charged at Ryder, quickly grabbing stands on his side and throwing them to Ryder's sides, preventing him from moving to either of his sides "You do not understand BOY! You don't understand that YOU and I are the same! WE ARE CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH! We are WOLVES, not SHEEP! WE'RE DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHERS! WE'RE ALONE! You've got no one but me in this cruel, cold, heartless world! IF ONLY YOU'D UNDERSTAND! LOOK TO YOUR SIDES LOOK! NOBODY! LOOK AROUND THE CHURCH, YOU WILL ONLY SEE MY VISAGE! YOU JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND! Only I can understand you... and only you can understand ME! There's no one else that can do it! That's why I killed ALL of my followers! The assassins, my worshippers, Cathy, THEY JUST GET IN THE WAY SO I KILLED THEM ALL! AND THEN I'LL KILL ALL OF VULTURE TEAM AS WELL SO YOU'LL FINALLY UNDERSTAND! You'll understand that we're all alone and that all we've got are ourselves in this horrible, horrible nightmare..." Kraven then skidded over to Ryder, sliding down on his knees and throwing a powerful uppercut to Ryder "RENOUNCE YOUR FAITH, FALSE PROPHET! AND STAND BY MY SIDE! BE MINE!"

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"DEATH IS MY FATHER, MY BROTHER, EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD TO ME!!!"   
Kraven Theme - Holy Diver

Ryder Mercy
The Boss
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"I guess it's true what they say...you never know how strong you are...until being strong is the only choice you've got."
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Ryder's eyebrows rose in surprise as he saw Kraven simply stomp out the grenade--quickly grimacing after as the man advanced towards him. He tried to move off to the side--but this idea was quickly snuffed out by Kraven blocking both left and right. He stood his ground as the blonde talked--and as jarring as the man's words were, Ryder had told himself that he wouldn't let any of this get to him. He wouldn't let Kraven break his resolve, resolutely replying to the man,
"You're wrong! People can understand you--you just have to--" He cut himself off, stumbling back a step as Kraven suddenly skidded his way--the man's punch connecting squarely with his chin and even throwing him off his feet a bit. He stumbled back several paces, having to grab onto a pew at his side to keep himself from falling over. He'd nearly bitten his tongue with that jaw-hammering punch...that wouldn't have been good...not to mention that his head was ringing...And at the man's last command, glowering the blonde's way, Ryder replied in a snarl, "Not on your life!" He backed up a few paces, lifting his bat up and pointing the rifle barrel Kraven's way, firing off two rounds at the man to try to generate some distance between them. He had to come up with a new strategy...

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Ryder's Theme - Burn My Dread

 


Kraven
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"BWAHAHAHAHA! UNDERSTAND!? NO ONE CAN UNDERSTAND ANYONE RYDERKINS! You just THINK you know people... but in truth you never know when they'll strike... what they're really thinking... when they'er planning on BETRAYING YOU!" he let out a big smile as he hit connected, yet he didn't seem to lead up to another attack like he usually did. He instead continued to watch Ryder in complete amusement. By the time Ryder recovered, the giant made a slow approach towards the red head "Come on Ryderkins... you can't tell me you actually THINK YOU KNOW THAT HARLOT DO YOU!?" he yelled, referring to Jo "You actually trust her... heh... how amusing... she'll turn on you and break you more than I EVER COULD! JOIN ME RYDER! RENOUNCE YOUR FAITH AND TOGETHER WE CAN RULE THIS PUTRID WORLD!" Ryder's two shots hit Kraven in the chest spot on, but they didn't seem to stop Kraven, he actually didn't even seem to notice. He then grabbed Ryder before slamming him into the floor, then punching Ryder in the chest, causing the flooring under them to break down. The two would then land in the basement "We are both alone... DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND! YOU ACT AS IF THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU MAKE YOU ANY MORE FIT TO SURVIVE BUT THEY DON'T! IN THE END ITS ALL ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL! WE ARE ALL ALONE DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND!?"

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"DEATH IS MY FATHER, MY BROTHER, EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD TO ME!!!"   
Kraven Theme - Holy Diver

Ryder Mercy
The Boss
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"I guess it's true what they say...you never know how strong you are...until being strong is the only choice you've got."
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Ryder scowled at Kraven as the bullets had literally no effect--and then sputtered indignantly at the comment about Jo. He was about to shout out in protest to that when suddenly, Kraven grabbed him--and before he could worm his way out again, he was slammed to the floor, the wind knocked out of him and searing pain shooting up and down his already injured back, his eyes going wide for a moment as he tried to breathe--not even getting enough time to do that before Kraven's fist crashed into his chest. Before his brain even had the time to process the crashing burn that rocketed through his torso, they were going down through the floor, and soon enough, Ryder's back hit the hard, rock floor of the basement. He hadn't actually gotten to see this room the last time he had been here--mostly due to having been blind at the time. His first moments on the floor were spent coughing and hacking, gasping for the air that had just repeatedly been pressed out of him. He didn't even want to think about the condition of his back or ribs right now--nor could he, as his head was still reeling from hitting the floor. After a moment, he finally managed to catch his breath, and immediately spoke out against Kraven, glowering up at the man, "To hell with that! To hell with all of that! Say...you remember when we fought the Inquisitor that first time on Baker's Street...? After that battle...I thought that I was alone. But you know what...?" Ryder shifted then, straining himself to prop himself up, struggling to sit up. "Even though I thought that I was alone--I had people all around me. People that cared about me. Even though I thought that I was alone--I was wrong. Because that's just not how things work. The people around you aren't just goddamn props! They're there for a reason, and if you just push them away, then it's you who's missing out! People can't handle the shit that this world throws at them on their own--they've got to depend on the people they care about to keep them strong. And that's why..." Ryder paused for a moment...then smiled. "That's why, no matter how big and strong you get, that's why I'll always be stronger than you. You know what happens to people that don't reach out to others? They go completely batshit nuts. That's you, Kraven. It's too bad--you might have still been Yuri today if you'd thought about the people that cared about you for more than two seconds. You killed the woman who was madly in love with you. Who's arms are you going to go into now? A kingdom led by a lonely man is a pretty lonely place, don't you think...? And two lonely men won't make it any better. That's why I'm not joining you--that's why I've got something to fight for! That's what I've got that you don't! And that's why...you're going to lose...!" Ryder struggled to get back up to his feet, knowing that this was one fight that he had to win. He couldn't let himself fall...not here...not now...!

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Ryder's Theme - Burn My Dread

 


Kraven
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Kraven looked down on Ryder's initially limp body after his second strike, after two attacks like that, he should have been broken. He was growing ever so happy with the results of the Paragon Serum, now he had it, he had the power he'd longed for all these years. He was no longer weak, or helpless, he could do anything he wanted now. He could TAKE anything he wanted, he was the most fit to survive, he was the apex predator, the pinnacle of humanity! And Ryder was but a man, albeit one with willpower, which had always prevented Kraven from definitively beating him. Until now of course, this was no longer a duel between two men. This was not the same as the battle atop The Walls all those months ago. This was a slaughter, a massacre, a man hoping to defy a god. Yet, Ryder still seemed to stand defiantly, despite taking just as much damage as the mutants and superhumans that had stood before Kraven already "..." the blonde narrowed his eyes, looking down at Ryder with contempt. He should have known this man would be more difficult than the others "Oh...?" Ryder managed to get back up on his feet, which shocked the man to no ends. He listened to Ryder's rebuttal, each and every word seemed to burn into his mind "I'm going to lose...?" he began to approach Ryder, as much as he loved to bark back he knew the red head couldn't survive another like the last two. These weren't normal punches, these were the fists of a superhuman whom had long abandoned his humanity "For someone who speaks so big about his friends... you sure do seem to be alone now. I see no one standing beside you, ready to lose their lives with you. They are sheep Ryder, you simply believe they are your companions but in truth they are mere parasites! They will turn on you! They will betray you! And you will know a fate worse than death!" the titan approached Ryder, he was but a foot away, looking directly down on Ryder. He was a giant of a man, it was a surprise the entire earth didn't cave in on his weight and power. With a wicked smile upon his face he continued "You are alone Ryder! You are a wolf surrounded by sheep yet you indulge in all the sheeps' wants and needs like a wanton whore! I killed everybody around me because THEY HELD ME BACK! I AM A GOD AND THEY HAVE NO RIGHT BEING IN MY PRESENCE! THEY WERE PATHETIC SHEEP JUST LIKE THE REST! You believe yourself stronger... you believe yourself the winner of this little... heheh... altercation... but to see the truth you must simply realize the reality. Others do not make you stronger... they hold you back! THOSE SHEEP HAVE BEEN HOLDING YOU BACK RYDER! You can only rely on YOURSELF to grow strong! The truth is in the cards boy! Look at yourself now, a mere man, weakened, on the verge of defeat... standing before the image of perfection itself...! YOU ARE BEYOND MY HELP NOW! YOU CANNOT BE SAVED! SO NOW... I'm going to kill you..." Kraven took a step back before throwing a powerful punched directly towards Ryder's face with as much power as he could muster, just like the punch he had thrown towards Kermit to end their duel.

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"DEATH IS MY FATHER, MY BROTHER, EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD TO ME!!!"   
Kraven Theme - Holy Diver

Ryder Mercy
The Boss
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"I guess it's true what they say...you never know how strong you are...until being strong is the only choice you've got."
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Ryder did his best to stand his ground as Kraven approached, glaring defiantly up at the tower of a man, not moving from that one spot. He felt unsteady on his feet, and not quite ready for any attacks--and it was just his luck that Kraven chose that moment to attack him.
The punch connected firmly with Ryder's face, sending him flying back through the room, smacking into the far wall. After hitting the wall, he fell to the floor, slumping over--and for a moment, as blood began to drip from the back of his head, down over his ears and down his cheekbones, down his drooping head--it seemed as if he was dead. He felt his consciousness fading--it really did feel for a moment like it was about to end--but then suddenly, his eyes flew back open as his consciousness came rushing back to him. It took him a moment, but he raised his hand up, pressing it against the wall, then pulling himself up, seeming slightly shaky--the last thing to rise was his head, and he looked over at Kraven, his eyes squinting against the pain, his face bloodied by streams of blood coming from his nose. He looked like hell--but he was still alive. Jarred, but alive. He took an unsteady step forward back across the room towards Kraven, speaking out, taking one slow step at a time as he made his way across the room towards Kraven.
"If those 'sheep'...have been holding me back...then explain to me how I got to the place that I'm in today, huh...? You know why I just never seem to die...? It's because I've got them holding me up...I could very well have fallen into a grave ages ago, but they all pulled me out of there! You might think that these people are making me weaker, but they're making me stronger--and as long as they're behind me, I'm not about to lose--and especially not to the likes of you!" He had brought himself all the way over to Kraven now--standing right in front of him to prove his point. He wasn't so easy to get rid of--and he was still deadset on winning this, with the knowledge that everyone was depending upon him.

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Ryder's Theme - Burn My Dread

 


Kraven
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Kraven let out a chuckle as Ryder was sent flying back, looking at his bloodied fist in the aftermath to appreciate it "You can't beat perfection Ryder!" he called out, his chuckle then turned into his usual maniacal smile as he closed in on Ryder, fully expecting to find a corpse. As he advanced forward, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Ryder had just refused to die, and honestly there was a point where Kraven never wanted him to die, but just as all human beings grow out of certain parts of their life, Kraven grew out of this rivalry. He wanted it to come to an end, he wanted to kill Ryder Mercy and move on. In truth, this was Kraven at his most ruthless, every attack was aimed to kill, there was never a single point of weakness displayed by the giant. And as he approached Ryder's apparently limp body, he couldn't help but think he had actually won. Cue Ryder getting up as he always did, and making his usual speech about friendship and the like "..." Kraven's eyes widened, and in just a matter of seconds Father Death was humbled. Kraven actually took a step back, for a moment, he was genuinely afraid of the man. And it seemed as if Ryder's battle with Ross would repeat again. Another step back, and another, until eventually the blonde stopped, smiled and pointed to Ryder "Those are some big words considering your current shit state! Here's the real truth... you may have survived thus far... but you're already pretty beaten down after three hits... sooooo... I think I'm just gonna punch you again!" Kraven rose up his fist to throw yet another punch towards Ryder, the three steps were apparently so the giant could get enough space to throw yet another powerful punch with enough momentum to sent Ryder spiraling back.

And just as Kraven was about to throw yet another punch, he heard oddly familiar whistling. He had once heard another man whistle the same tune once, someone he knew a long time ago. Someone he didn't quite remember anymore, as he didn't bother remembering the faces, the names, and the voices anymore. The roof of the church caved in, and a familiar face came crashing down. She came spiraling down, landing upon his shoulders, her elbow clashing against his skull. The giant let out a pained grunt, his eyes widened as he realized to whom that pain in the head belonged to. Her legs wrapping around his rather large throat, he looked up to the woman with an expression or rage on his face "YOU DARE INTERRUPT!?" he barked out to her, only for her knife to dig into the back of his neck. She seemed to also try to snap his neck with a leg motion, but Kraven's throat was just too bulky to do any real damage. As Jo's knife plunged into his skin, if only breaking skin, and tugged on his hair, only one thought was on his mind. he was going to kill this woman, and just like Kermit, it wasn't because of any fun he'd have like with Ryder, he was going to simply KILL HER. Kraven grabbed Jo by her head, lifting her off him then throwing her away "Rejoice Ryder...!" Kraven spoke in a dark voice "You said you weren't alone... and in truth you apparently aren't! Now you can both die together! At least then you'll never have to face true betrayal!" Kraven then tore off his jacket, letting it fall to the ground before pulling out a support column to use as a weapon. It was large enough for Kraven to attack both of them in a single swipe, and the blonde did just that. A single swing with the column, aimed at bludgeoning the heads of both Jo and Ryder "Companionship brings you nowhere Ryder! You will soon learn this lesson! Right here!"

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"DEATH IS MY FATHER, MY BROTHER, EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD TO ME!!!"   
Kraven Theme - Holy Diver

Ryder Mercy
The Boss
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"I guess it's true what they say...you never know how strong you are...until being strong is the only choice you've got."
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Ryder was sent reeling back with another one of Kraven's punches, this time using his arms to stop himself against the wall before he slammed into it--and it was at that moment that he heard a thump, and a familiar voice. He whipped around, his eyes going wide as he saw Jo upon Kraven's shoulders.
"Jo--!" he called over to her, unsure why he did so but for the sheer relief that he could hold true to his word. He wasn't alone. He had never been alone...He felt energy surge through him at Jo's appearance, new confidence flowing through his body as he came forward again.
He didn't have much time to think about this, though--as Jo was suddenly tossed from Kraven's shoulders. Ryder jerked forward a few steps, holding out his arms to catch Jo before she fell and helping to steady her. It was at that moment that he saw Kraven swinging the pillar at them out of the corner of his eye--and keeping his arm over Jo's shoulders, he ducked, tugging her down with him to avoid the swipe of the pillar, before standing back up again. "Sorry about that--a-and all the stuff with Paladin--sorry about that too--and yeah--uh--I guess that now's not really the time to talk about that--" He paused for a moment, using his arm to wipe from blood from his face, but only really succeeding in smearing it--before turning back to Kraven and calling to him, "You're the one who's gotta learn the lesson, Kraven! We're gonna kick your ass--together--!"

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Jo and Ryder's Theme - Don't Lose Your Way