*set met_jason true
You survive 100% of the fights that you don't engage in. Back when I was employed, the people in charge were varied but tended to have the same policy when dealing with unknowns. If you they weren't confident that they could kill the other quickly and decisively, diplomacy was the best way to open up. Either you could come to reach a mutual agreement or you gave yourself time to find a weakness to exploit.

I wasn't encouraged to think much about how they did business at the time, but those memories weren't going anywhere. If I was going to have them, I might as well put them to use.

So I maintain my spot in the middle of the hallway and merely observe my new aquaintence as he steps out from around the corner. From what I can tell about him at a glance, his walk is inefficient and leaves openings that could be exploited, meaning he's not from my old company. He doesn't have the look of someone who's killed before, so either he's a complete sociopath or he's not from any professional background. Overall, his demeanor is casual, slightly annoyed but this scenario is clearly familier to him to the point where it has become routine.

"Identify yourself."

He scratched his head with an irritated sigh, "Right, so, this is kind of awkward..." He mumbles, ignoring my opening statement, "Look, I'd rather not have a fight but I need to put on a show. So, do you think you could not move around too much? I promise not to leave any lasting damage."

"Why would I comply with that? Better question, why are you here at all?"

*if (female =true)
	*set jessyrelationship "Hostile"
	"Well, you broke my girlfriend's arm. I'm expected to do something about that."

	*if (breakvi =true)
		"I was unaware Vi had a lover."

		"Who the hell is Vi? I'm talking about Jessy."

		Jessy...well, other than Vi, there was only one other female whose arm I had wounded today. "The girl from third hour."

	*if (breakvi =false)
		"You must be referring to the girl from third hour." I don't remember wounding any other female's arm this day

	"Didn't even learn her name, eh? Well, I can't exactly blame you..."
*if (annoyjessy =true)
	*set jessyrelationship "Scorned"
	"My girlfriend said you pissed her off. I'm expected to do something about that."

	"Could you be more specific?"

	"Jessy; long hair, hot, can be a bit annoying at times." He could be describing a large number of people, but only one that I've come in contact with today.

	"The girl from third hour."
*if (annoyjessy =false)
	*set jessyrelationship "Attracted?"
	"I just heard from someone that you and my girlfriend were being friendly. I'm expected to do something about that."

	"I don't have any friends."

	"Do you even know who I'm talking about?"

	"Depends, what's her name."

	"Jessy."

	*if ((no_jessy_lunch =true) or (yes_jessy_lunch=true))
		"...It appears that I do know her." The girl from third hour who threw a piece of paper at me and then pestered me about her outfit. Somehow I knew that interaction would come back to haunt me.

		"Judging by the tone of voice, I'm guessing things aren't as friendly as I was told. Doesn't really matter, though."

	*if ((no_jessy_lunch =false) and (yes_jessy_lunch =false))
		"Can't say that I have heard that name before."

		"Well, it doesn't really matter either way."

	"I suppose it doesn't."
*page_break Next
"Look," he says with a sigh, "This probably isn't your fault at all, but I have to do something to you. It's a matter of principle, you get me? I can't just let things pass or people will start to talk."

"I understand." Back home, reputation was everything for a business. If you weren't feared and respected, then you would be torn apart by competitors and nobody would ever hire you, so my former employers always took extra measures to make sure the right message was being spread about our terrorism-for-hire group. If that meant a few villages needed to be burned or people killed, then that was what needed to be done to protect the business' reputation; that was the excuse, at least. The person in front of me seems to have a similar philosophy to a more toned down level.

"Alright, so I'll just give you one good punch to the face. Something to leave a mark, nothing serious, you'll walk it off in no time. That should settle the score in the eyes of the masses. So, I'd appreciate it if you just sit still."

He's rather casual about all this, and something tells me this isn't the first time he's had this conversation with someone. Most of the killers I've worked with had similar attitudes; a job is a job, after all, and no matter what that job is you'll eventually start to treat it with the mundane boredom one treats anything routine. He's most likely being honest, and though I prefer to avoid being hit, my life probably wouldn't be in danger.
*fake_choice
	#Go along with it
		*set talkbully true
		*set hurt true
		*set hurtbyjason true
		*set combat -1
		*set reflex -1
		*set jasonrelationship "Grateful"
		If it really is the way he's describing, then me defeating him in combat would make him honor bound to continue fighting me. Seeing as how I'm not authorized to kill anyone, there's no permanent way to resolve this other than removing the cause of conflict. It's far easier to take a punch to the face than having to constantly be on the lookout for yet another potential threat.

		I keep my reflexes in check when I see the fist coming; the collision is more painful that I was expecting. He's no ameture, throwing out a fist and expecting strength to handle the rest; he knows to use his whole body to pack power and speed behind his strike. The blow staggers me, forcing me to use a desk to keep myself up.

		"Are you okay?" He asks politely

		"I'm...intact," I reply, straightening myself. Thanks to my previous training, my body is conditioned to continue functioning efficiently in the face of even major damage, and I'm able to recover quickly

		"You're tougher than you look, I'll give you that. Mark on your face should be enough, though."

		"We're done?"

		"Yea, we're done. Thanks for not making a big deal about this."
		*page_break Next
		After he's gone, I inspect the damage in a nearby window. There's obviously going to be some bruising around the eye region, but he must have aimed carefully because everything else seems completely unharmed. The initial pain I felt has subsided and I can still see perfectly, so there doesn't appear to be any reason why I couldn't continue my day as intended.

		Satisfied with my own healthiness, I final set out to the lunch room.
		*page_break Next
		*goto_scene 1-9lunch-1
	#Draw him close, then counterattack
		*set interrogatebully true
		*set jasonrelationship "Wary"
		I try not to make a habit of being punched in the face.
		*if (hurt =true)
			Once was enough for one day.
		When one comes from an environment where antibiotics and medical supplies are an extreme rarity, you quickly begin to see every scratch and minor wound for the life-threatening omen that it truly is. Sure, that scratch doesn't look bad right now, but what happens when your adrenaline runs out and you realize that it's down to the bone and you're left with no glue in sight? A punch in the face may not seem all that bad, but any number of things could go wrong; he could be lying, or he could misjudge his own strength and give me a concussion, or he may push my eye back in its socket.

		All of which seem like fairly valid arguments for avoiding being punched in the face.

		He's approaching me casually, clearly not expecting resistance. Once he's within arm's reach, he begins winding up his punch; as far as he's aware, he doesn't have to worry about defense and is focusing purely on getting as much power in as possible. When it looks like he's about to attack, I quickly jab at the throat he'd left expoxed. He gasps, all his oxygen being cut off, and stumbles back holding onto the wounded area, any intent of attacking gone; before he's had time to process what's going on, I lunge forward, pushing forward and to the ground. Once there I grab firmly on his head by the ears and begin smashing his head against the ground, minding my strength to refrain from ripping his ears off or causing any other for of permanent damage. It only takes about three slams before he stops resisting entirely.

		For a moment, I worry that I might have hit him in the head too hard and begin thinking of routes out of the country, before I hear a pained groan escape from his unconscious form. He will definitely feel the effects of this confrontation for a long time, but he'll be alive; and more importantly, he'll be more hesitant to attack me again.

		Luckily my attacker chose his moment carefully so that there were no students or cameras in view of us, so there aren't any witnesses to turn this into a long, drawn out lecture from the principal. And if this was all about reputation, like my attacker said, then he's likely not going to report being defeated by
		*if (female =true)
			a female
		*if (male =true)
			a freshmen
		two feet shorter and approximately forty pounds lighter than him. The principal could probably deduce who was responsible if he did a proper investigation, but if the victim doesn't cooperate then he wouldn't be able to really charge me for anything. Beside, he doesn't seem like the type of authority figure who deals with anything outside his visual range.

		Confident in my anonymity, I return to the task I was performing before this mess started; going to lunch.
		*page_break Next
		*goto_scene 1-9lunch-1