Loa Blood

[RoyalPurpleVelv]

Also, we gifted need to get together and discuss what we can do, so we can match our abilities up. The last thing we need is to be in a fight and be stepping all over each other. WE can stay here, or retire to my quarters. I believe it will be spacious enough for all of us."

She looks at Monolith. “Like I said, I have an extensive background in security and electronics, with my Loa gift I can alter my size to about your height or down to about a foot tall I’ve tested it but I haven’t used much more than a few inches difference because I don’t care to have my clothes ripped off in the middle of a fight. I agree we need to chat but right now I’d like to go see the harbormaster. Through a contact of mine I can get him to trust me if he has no idea that I’m gifted or with Coda.”

She unobtrusively gages each man's reactions to her idea of going off alone, and the fact that she has a contact that will make a crook trust her. She knows it's only a matter of time before one of them figures out that she's been in business on the wrong side of the law. And always there is worry for Andante in the back of her mind.

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Monolith

with my Loa gift I can alter my size to about your height or down to about a foot tall I’ve tested it but I haven’t used much more than a few inches difference because I don’t care to have my clothes ripped off in the middle of a fight.

Now that would be interesting, looking someone in the eye again.

"OK, then lets agree to get together sometime soon & talk things over. I have some buisness I need to attend to also, so we may not be able to practice together tonight, but if we plan to stay working as a team, we do need to learn how to work together.
I stood up & turned to the group. " I have to go, but I can be contacted by Mr. Thorne if needed."
Then I turned and left. I needed to find Faith. I slipped up last night, and she didn't deserve to deal with the confusion that had caused. It was time I came clean to here and reveal who I was.

 

[SwampThing]

Thursday Night

A silver sliver of a moon shines above the dark water.

The harbourmaster's office is the third floor of a ramshackle old building overlooking the water. The storerooms and garage below the office are dark, but the office windows are lit. A high fence tipped with razor-wire surrounds the wide yard, and a sign warns trespassers about the guard dogs inside. But the dogs don't make a sound. They are all dead, recently slain by dark green shuriken, the throwing stars of Sejealan Ninja.
_____________________________________

Nearby, Juno climbs off a docked cargo ship, and returns to his sleek black car. The pale moonlight slides over his shavd head, and his elaborate cockatrice tattoo. He has spent a long day visiting ships' captains, bribing or beating them until he is confident they know nothing about Nikki Hall trying to leave the city by boat. He looks down the dock, knowing he has many boats still to visit, and a long night ahead of him.

A few blocks away, two men in yellow and black Killer Bee armour sit on their silenced jet-bikes and watch Juno through the high-powered magnifying lenses built into their helmets.

 

[RoyalPurpleVelv]

Dressed in her “work” clothes she checked the entire area before approaching the harbor master’s office. Long years of practice made sticking to the shadows automatic as she moved closer to the outer fence. Something tripped that internal alarm system that had kept her free and successful for so many years. It was just too quiet. Fagin told her these dogs were more sensitive than any security device man ever made, so she lightly rattled chain link outer fence, nothing.

Walking half a block away she used a pay phone, to call the police and report a disturbance at the harbor masters office, staying anonymous and hanging up quickly she moved to a place where she could watch unobserved when the police arrived. If nothing was wrong she’d go in after things had settled back down.

 

[SwampThing]

Three figures in dark green Sejealan Ninja garb climb out the window of the harbourmaster's office. From the rooftop of the ramshackle buiilding, they survey the scene, not noticing Kryna secreted among the shadows. They scale down the wall and over the high, barbed fence as swiftly and silently as spiders, disappearing into the truckyard next door.

 

[poohlive]

He sat atop a throwaway bike. Kriegan called certain vehicles by the name of throwaway for a very certain and real situation, they would never be used again. When he was done, he would throw it away.
This bike would never be used by another person, so it was a throwaway bike.
Kriegan let his legs rest on the pavement, as the throwaway bike hummed on idle between his legs. He watched the black car as a familiar friend stepped into it.
The docks?
Several suspicions came to mind, him leaving, him chasing down Nikki, or questioning certain people. Nothing stuck clear at the moment, but all of it rambled through his head. Unable to stop the different theories from chasing each other, he decided to put the throwaway into gear and ask the man up close and personal.
The bike revved up, spewing black smoke out of the back, the engine sounded dark and oily. As he pressed the gas, it felt like it was hungry and ready to work. Kriegan agreed, shooting off to follow the car.
He waited until Juno stopped again, not too far away. The same dock, just a few boats down. As he got out of the car, Kriegan wasted no time in speeding up, unholstering one of his pistols.
He didn't fire, but he used the butt of it to knock Juno right upside the asshole's nice and pretty tattooed head.
Kriegan jumped off of the bike, which continued to sail unmanned for another twenty yards, before slamming to its side and sliding off of a pier into the sea. The ocean splashed up against the gangplanks, leaving the only evidence left of the bike.
Throaway bike.
Kriegan took a look around, to make sure no one was watching. Once he felt safe enough, he grabbed Juno and shoved him into the back of the car.
The keys were on the ground. Kriegan picked them up, and geot into the drivers seat. He didn't drive far, just so that they would be out of sight if anyone decided to come up and ruin their fun. Certain no one was around, and they weren't being followed, Kriegan shut off the car and got in the back.
With handcuffs on both Juno's wrists and ankles, Kriegan sat him up and began to rack his temple with a few light taps of his gun.
"Rise and shine old friend," Kriegan said through his crooked teeth, which in the fading sunlight sparkled and reflected his own hunger for the chaos and destruction.
"Juno..." Kriegan hit him again, this time more forceful, "You haven't much time left, and I need a few answers. What are you doing down at the docks? Sloppy... sloppy..."

 

[SwampThing]

"Unh . . . Kriegan you bastard! Stop, stop already, I'm awake. Ow, my fucking head. All I know is that I don't know nothing, Kriegan. Hall hasn't made any arrangements to leave town by boat, and there's no way she'd be able to get on a plane.

"You heard about Mason? Bitch stabbed him with his own blade. I hope you're next, old pal, then it'll just be me and her and that big fat reward."

Through the rear window of the car, Kriegan can see the two figures on motorcyles glide into a new hiding place, a few blocks away. The silenced bikes would have given them away, even if the black and yellow armour hadn't. Juno was being followed by a couple of Killer Bee agents.

 

[poohlive]

"Sloppy," Kriegan growled, his gun slamming against the man's face. Blood gushed out, and he made a conscious effort not to get any on his clothes. Juno screamed as his nose exploded and blood ran down himself.
"Sloppy," He repeated, pointing back to the bikes he had seen earlier. He scolded himself a little bit in Juno's beating, cursing that he hadn't seen the Bee agents earlier. Oh well, no use crying over spilled milk. He'd take care of them just soon enough.
"Sloppy, sloppy. Juno, you son of a bitch. Do you know you were being followed? You know someone took a photo of you at that church fire a few nights ago (or last night, not sure how much time has passed). Nikki probably saw you, that's why you can't find her you dumb fuck."
He let the gun hit the man again in the face, as droplets of blood scattered across the window he now sat against. Kriegan looked down at his sleeve where a small trail fo blood lie. He hated to get his work all over him, this was beginning to be too much of a bother.
"How did you find her so fast Juno? Do you know where she is? Who she contacts? Give me something, or I'll..." He rose the gun up a third time, the butt of it still dripping his blood to the bottom of the car.
Kriegan was beginning to think this was going to be a throwaway car.
"Talk, or I'll do worse than kill you. I'll let those bee agents have a go at your carcass."

 

[SwampThing]

"Ahhgh! Kriegan you sick fuck! All I know is she's been working with those "supers", Monolith and those others, helping the police. They keep showing up whenever there's some disaster, like yesterday's fire. The police won't tell me anything, they hate bounty hunters."

Kriegan knows Monolith and some of the other Gifted are now working for the Coda Corpration, but this information seems to have got past Juno.

 

[poohlive]

Kriegan nodded at this, studying Juno's eyes as he talked. It wasn't an uncanny knowledge of how to tell if people could lie, but just to study their eyes gave someone a pretty good clue. He realized Juno was telling the truth.
"Good," He smiled, something that didn't seem possible in this situation, a smile.
"Good, very good. Juno, what are Killer Bee's doing following you? And being so obvious about it as well? I knew you were sloppy, but even you could have seen that tail."
A heat rose up in him as he looked back to those damned bikes behind him. They would need to be taken care of, his trigger finger itched with excitement. Maybe he could get to them... if not they would run away with a hell of a story to tell when they got back to whomever they were going to tell.
A thought crossed his mind. Nikki? Was she somehow involved in them? The bee's were following Juno so he didn't get too close to her, or the other Gifted. Maybe All of the gifted were a part of the Bee's... no, Coda would have none of that.
Then what?
More answer... more answer.
"We've both got places to go Juno, let's wrap this up."
He was already thinking of ways to dump the body.

 

[Democable]

Damien awoke to the sound of someone moving in his room, when he opened his eyes he saw a young lady standing next to the window "May i ask who you are?" His voice did not startle her it just merely caused her to turn around, she looked like an angel to him. she spoke with a soft voice in the room "Well, Hello dear brother"

Damien nearly jumped out of his bed when she said those words. Dear Brother, what did she mean by that he asked himself


She just smiled at him. "Tonight is going to be a good night for you Damien, A good night indeed" She waved her hand and Damien passed out agian........

 

[Lady_Siren]

Nikki paced her room chewing on her bottom lip. She hadn't left the Killer Bee's protection since the fire. She knew there were bounty hunters out there. She could almost sense them. Of course that was silly. She couldn't wait until the twelve concert where she could finally achieve freedom! She should be happy that her life was finally getting better but truth be told she wasn't happy. She was lonely, she missed Damien more then she cared to admit. She hadn't allowed herself to attempt to contact him. It would be best he thought her dead with everyone else. That way she couldn't complicate his life furthur. But it was so hard to stay away. She sighed softly leaving her room and heading towards the bar where she spent most of her nights. She ordered her usual drink and sat there lost in her lonely thoughts.

 

[SwampThing]

Police cars arrive at the docks, responding to Kryna's phone call. They are dangerously close to Kriegan and his entouage.

By morning, word has reached the Coda security team that the harbourmaster was murdered in the night by Sejealan Ninja.

 

[poohlive]

His pistol had a button on it, something similar to the safety. It was a custom made, and cost a pretty penny, he would be open and honest about that here and now. It was an automatic silencer, able to open holes in certain places that made the big bang most guns had, to an almost silent snap in the air.
He presed the button as soon as he saw the cops, letting Juno get three shots in the stomach.
He would have done it in the head, but that would have made too much mess, and right now clean up time was getting very short.
He covered Juno's mouth, making sure the man didn't scream his last breath as Kriegan's eyes studied the back of the window, to the cops that came dangerously close even for his comfort.
He let the body sag out of sight from the back window. His mind raced for what to do. If he left the car just like this, it would be found in minutes. The cops seemed to be looking for something. This wasn't a specific call, just a general one that something was going on inside the docks. That meant they would search until they found something.
He thought about putting it in gear and letting the car roll into the sea, but that would make too much noise and be too obvious. It would also tell the cops that someone was here, a message of foul play. They would search until they found him.
Shit, shit shit.
Kriegan growled deep in his throat, hating this situation the longer he stayed in it. His eyes searched out of the car, something that might be able to help.
Lighting upon an old tarp, Kriegan smiled with pleasure, his razor sharp teeth coming to the surface once more. Kriegan opened the car door as quietly as he could, not fully shutting it, but just closing it as far as he dared. He grabbed up the tarp, and in a momen't's time, covered the car with it.
It looked like a rushed job, but the darkness would conceal its shoddy workmanship. Just another bundle of something covered in a large dock of bundles that were covered.
Kriegan moved with feocious strength and agility, climbing on top of boxes and deep dea fishing equipment, moving to the roof of one of the taller buildings, to get himself out of sight and to get a better view of both the cops and the bee agents who still lurked around somewhere.
Since the police arrived, he had lost sight of them.
He laid down on the metal slanted roof, his eyes and ears open for what was happening down below. This might be of some interest.

 

[SwampThing]

Kriegan sees the two Killer Bees race away on their silent jetbikes. He sees the police entering the harbourmaster's office, and sees them emerge with bloody shuriken in little plastic bags.
____________________________________________________

The bartender smiles at Nikki, handing her her usual drink. He's a tall man, with a neat silver beard, high forehead, and a ponytail. He goes to the other end of the bar, opening Aralian import beers for a few young toughs with bee tatoos above their thums.

Underneath Nikki's glass is a folded piece of paper, with a note written on it in a small, neat hand. "I am a friend, of the iron bird's and of yours. If you wish to see him, I can arrange it."

 

[Lady_Siren]

Nikki looked at the note for a long moment her chest tight. The Iron Bird had to be Damien. Oh how she wished she could see him. She really shouldn't though... well she wasn't scheduled to die until the twelve concert. And as long as no one found out about it, she had to see him one last time. After her death she wouldn't be able to have any contact with me. It would endanger both him and her. When the bartender came back her way she pushed the note forward and smiled "I would gladly accept your help" she murmured her voice for his ears alone.

 

[Jacobo_Curious]

Mmm. Pain.

Pain is delicious. Pain is when your body tells you that you've done enough, that you've worked hard enough, that it's time to quit -- and then you spite it, and keep on going, until the pain seems to ebb and scorch at the same time and you are burning like a pheonix.

He shouldn't have been burnt so bad, really. Maybe he just hadn't noticed it... maybe his powers weren't as strong as he had thought...

Kell reveled in the pain. How long, he didn't know.

I thought my powers would protect me. I was deluded. I deserve this pain... bring it! Bring it to me! I'll absorb it all! I have no limit!

"Eheheh."

One of the nurses glanced to the side, her eyebrows raising as she saw the burn victim begin to tremble. She turned to call one of the other nurses to her, but gasped when she felt a flaky hand grasp her forearm.

"Did you give me any drugs?"

She trembled slightly at the smoke-rasped voice.

"Y-Yes, just a few painkillers... I--"

She was silenced by a surprisingly strong grip on her shoulder. A painful grip.

"You bitch," the young man hissed, slowly rising upward, defying the burnt skin flaking and tearing on his back as he stood. "You have the gall to give me drugs? You have the arrogance to assume that I don't have the capability to recover on my own?"

The nurse had worked with many types of people, and she recognized the glint in the young man's eye -- the look of a man with nothing to lose.

She stayed silent.

"I don't want to be protected by damn drugs!" roared Kell, causing the other nurses to finally notice and a commotion to start. He ignored it, filled with a focused yet uncontrollable rage. "I don't want anything keeping the pain from me! I'll face it! I'll fight it! I refuse to RUN AWAY!" His eyes widened slightly, and he gasped, feeling his throat begin to dry. "Damn you," he whispered, releasing her slowly as a tear trickled down his cheek. The rage was gone as soon as it had appeared. "I... I hate you all..."

The nurses were silent, watching him, before the one he had been speaking to replied.

"You can't fight pain," she said softly. "You just wait, and it goes away after a while. Scars don't heal, but wounds do. Don't expect there's an easy solution."

She's right, Kell. You know this.

"I want to fight it!" he said desperately.

"And I don't know why," the nurse replied calmly, her eyes gentle, "but it's not going to work."

"It's coming from everywhere," Kell continued, ignoring her. "The pain's coming from everywhere. Where do I turn to fight it? Which way do I go?"

The nurse just looked at him.

"Forward."

Kell stared, eyes wide. Silent.

Holy Wheel.

Is... is it really that simple?

...yes. It must be. I can't fight pain. Pain is an emotion and a necessary physical reaction. To fight a part of me would be to destroy humanity. To erase pain from this world would be to destroy the world. That's not what I want, is it?

I... I don't know. I'm... just not sure what to do. Everyone I know is dead. When I help somebody, somebody else gets hurt. Maybe I should just become a bum, and not do anything. That'll keep things equal.

Unless things aren't equal.

He raised his hand, and motes of light fluttered from them in the shape of butterflies. He opened his mouth, despair in his eyes, but the nurse shook her head.

"I know. It's alright."

Tears began to stream down his face.

And through that watery mirage, that girl, that nurse, became the most beautiful woman he had ever seen...

Kell shuddered for a moment, and then his eyes snapped open.

A girl... I...

"...Mary. Where's Mary? Where did she go? Is she safe?"

The nurse blinked and turned around. "Mary? A girl?" She tilted her head toward the waiting room. "I'll go check..."

 

[SwampThing]

Friday Morning

Kell wakes up 24 hours after the Church fire. All around him, the burn unit is filled with the people rescued from the fire, many still unconscious, all suffering from bad burns.

Mary has been waiting at the hospital all night for Kell to wake up.

Nikki arrives at the hospital's rear loading door in a beer delivery truck. The driver had explained to her that he, and the bartender, are Draconian Intelligence agents, and that their prince is very worried about her. A handsome man in a Draconian suit meets her at the loading door, introducing himself as James. "I'll escort you to the Prince's private room. I understand it would not benefit either of you for you to be seen here."

Damien wakes up more fully. The mysterious woman is sitting on his bed. She is beautiful, and strangely familiar. Draconian features, but red hair, like a Weaver, the name for northerners who've spent too long in the Svetland desert. The Weavers are nomads, with a proud and ancient tradition of witchcraft combining elements of the northern Wheel and Svetland shamanism. The name "Loa" comes from the Weaver word for their old and terrible animal gods.

Damien realizes his wounds feel better. He is still sore, but he feels ready to leave the bed.

"We must move quickly, brother. Our father's men have finally abandoned you for some errand, but they will return soon. If you are to be free of him, once and for all, you must come with me now. Yes, Damien, our father. I am Merrick, your elder sister, sent away as an infant so that a woman would never hold the throne. Once you were old enough to do without her, our mother was exiled as well, for the shame of bearing a daughter. She sought me out, where I lived among Weavers in the Svetland desert. She is still there, Damien. She still sings, and I can take you to her. You must come with me, quickly."

 

[Lady_Siren]

Nikki followed James to Damiens room. When she stepped inside she came to an abrupt halt. Damien sat in bed speaking with a woman. An extraordinarily beautiful woman. She bit her lips indecisivly. "I hope I'm not interupting anything" she said softly her gaze moving from the woman to Damien then back.

 

[SwampThing]

"Indeed," says James, entering the room behind Nikki. "Who is your guest, your highness?"

 

[Democable]

Damien began to speak when he stoped himself, he thought about it for a simple second. he looked to James, "James who she is to you is beyond you as for you Nikki, I'm sorry but i must leave. " he stood up and headed towards the door, stoping next to Nikki. "I told you I would protect you and i keep my promises, stay with james or atlease let my boys in the bees stay close by."

with that he just walked out......

 

[SwampThing]

A hospital guard waiting in the hallway makes a move toward Damien. Merrick swiftly draws a handfull of light blue dust from within the loose folds of her clothhing. She tosses the dust in the guard's face and he falls asleep on the floor.

James pulls out his cell phone. "The bird is on the wing. Follow him, and alert the King."

Then Nikki's ears fill with noise as the window beside Damien's empty hospital bed comes crashing inward. Glittering shards of glass come flying into the room, but Nikki unconsciously sheilds herself with her power.

A figure in a dark green body suit and mask stands in the window frame, 6 stories up. James is still reaching for his gun when the Ninja hurls three shuriken into his face and neck. The Draconian Intelligence man falls dead at Nikki's feet.

 

[Democable]

Damien stops as he hears something from his room, he turns back around to see James dead on the floor and Nikki just standing there. he moves to step in but is grabed by the arm, he looks to see who it is.......

OOC Tag Swampy

 

[SwampThing]

Merrick grabs her brother's arm. "Leave him," she hisses. "We have to get out of here."

The Ninja steps away from the window, clinging to the wall of the building.

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Mary

Every time she woke up from sleeping on one of the lounge couches Mary went up to the desk and inquired about Kell. Every time the nurse on duty would tell her that they couldn't release that information. Finally one of them took pity on her and told her that he was alive, with minor burns that would most probably leave scars, but was not on the critial list.

Relieved Mary sat back down and wondered what to do. She'd spent the whole night here and they were going to let her see him. What if he woke up and tried to call her and she wasn't home? He might panic and go off into one of his wild mood swings.