Loa Blood

[PoliteSuccubus]

Mary

The cop was looking at her funny....did she know him? Memory was elusive......

"Mary! Mary!" Someone called out; both embarassed and panicked.

"Oh!" Mary turned to the sound of the voice. "I think that might be her!" Searching the crowd for the fuzzy rust jacket Mary flashes a grin at the punked-out cop. "Sorry for bothering you!" before moving away into the crowd.

 

[Lady_Siren]

Nikki was taken by surprise at Mark's feirce kiss but she soon returned it. All the recent heart aches and pains subsided if only for this moment. Damien's rejection had left her feeling unwanted and vulnerable but Mark's obvious desire changed all that. She soon found her fingers threading into his hair and her body moving seductively against his.

 

[Morgoth]

The Crusher lay on the splintered and wrecked bed, watching commercials on the TV. As a commercial for Stupor beer flashed onto the screen, his faulty memory triggered again.

A vision. Dan Williams sat at a dinner table, thinking. A woman brought him a can. He sipped at it. On the side: Stupor.

"Beer? That is beer? Is good?" he questioned the air. Nodding his head as if in response to some unspoken answer, he stood up and walked out the front door. He lifted into the air, only stopping at a small gas station. He ripped the door away, walking inside, cramped. The attendant stared at him with open-mouthed horror as he snatched up eight cases of Stupor and walked to the desk. "This beer? Is good? Is drink? Is yummy?" he asked slowly, shaping the words. The attendant nodded at each, a toothpick falling from his lips at the last. The Crusher's eyes followed it all the way down. "AHHHHHHHHH!" he roared, obliterating the register with one fist and driving his other into a wall. With a mad shriek he tore the ceiling away and demolished a wall. Then, just as suddenly, he calmed down, picked up the beer and walked outside. Dan Williams lifted into the sky, settling back in his house, where he settled at the bed and began drinking the beer, of which he approved of entirely, grinning madly as he swallowed can after can. At the gas station, the attendant gave out a little squeak as he stared at the open night. As consciousness slipped away, he pressed the silent alarm.

 

[Jacobo_Curious]

Amy

"Mary!"

Amy, fear in her soft eyes, finally got close to Mary and enveloped her in a hug.

"I was worried about you, Mary! I'm glad you're okay."

She looked up into Mary's eyes, her eyes wide.

"Mary, I need to find the police. I need to tell them something. Something I just remembered. And then I want to find Kell. I hope he's alright... I just... I don't know. I felt like... when that woman appeared... I felt... I really don't know. I just want to talk to him, after we find the police..."

Inside and outside the area, chaos still reigned, but the beast seemed long gone.

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Mary

"Um...Ok, ok, ok..." Mary allowed herself to be hugged. Even squeezed back a little. "I was just a talking to one..." She scanned behind her and fortunately...or maybe unfortunately...the cop she's spoken to was still watching her specualtily while his girl friend was taking pics and asking questions. Maybe she was a cop too.

"There he is. Come on.." She took Mary's hand and led her to the punked cop.

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Faith

Any romantic hopes Price might have harboured were dashed to the ground when he brought Faith home. His message light was blinking madly and Faith immediately fetched her laptop and plugged in her digicam to it.

"Wasn't tonight amazeing?" She beamed at him as she sat cross legged on the floor at his coffee table and began downloading the photos she'd taken even as she hooked her new cellphone modem up.

They were calling him into work, and Faith was already immersed in her own world. Vaguely he wondered if a relationship between two work obessed people could go very far. He snagged a jacket and headed towards the door.

"Hey, Slick!" Faith called out. "You'd better make a wardrobe change before you go talk to your stuffy cop friends." She winked at his fishnet and pleather outfit before forgetting about him again to begin her article on the last few hours happenings.

 

[SwampThing]

Price listens to Amy's story with great interest. He takes her name and number and tells her to go home, get some sleep, and contact him if she remembers anything else.

Slowly, the police clear everyone out of the area. Price and Faith find the motorcycle, and head back to his apartment.
______________

Elsewhere in the city, Monolith arrives at a demolished gas station. He'd been led there by Paige, over his radio. The place had been torn apart. No person could have done this, except Monolith himself.

The police on the scene confirm what he can already see. No tracks leading from the place.

Monolith has been fighting Ninjas and leapining across the countryside all night. Paige urges him to return to Coda, and rest.

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Monolith

*speaking into the mic*
"Little one, you forget, I am no longer human. I will return when I feel the city is safe."
The rest of the night I spent patrolling the streets. A silent sentinel of peace.

 

[Jacobo_Curious]

Kell

Kell spends several hours, using his creation powers to the best of his ability, repairing the wounds of others in the hospitals. He was transferred several times, working throughout the night.

Slowly but surely, Kell's fame begins to grow. Not only is there a new healer in Bay City, but he is the same one who, along with the stone man, prevented an attack by a Sejelean Ninja clan on an important official.

Ignoring reporters and interviewers, shoving them out of the way sometimes if necessary, he heads doggedly from room to room. What good humor he showed during the fight with the Ninjas is completely gone. His eyes are haunted.

I must do more. I must keep fighting. I must be determined. As long as I am honest with myself, I don't have to be afraid of being determined...

...and... because... if Amy is wounded... I must find her!

He didn't find Amy. She was okay. The wounded were stable. It was time to go home.

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Mary

Mary comes home and throws the new outfit into the trash.

"I have GOT to get out of this town!" she mutters to herself as she glugs down OJ from the carton. Kell being here, Twelve playing a concert she's foolish enough to go to, the cop eyeing her like he'd seen her before...

"And visions of sugar plums dancing in my head." she muttered angrily. Not to mention voices. She sat on the couch in a grumpy mood across from one of her canvas'. On it she had sketched the view from the southwest window....a park glimsped between buildings. The longer she looked at it, the more wrong it seemed.

Standing, she put on her smock and got out her mixing board...on it she put titiaim white, ultramarine, teal, black and began mixing colors...and some cadium yellow...And some....

By the time Kell came home she had feverishly worked on several canvas' of varied size but not theme.....They were all of the snow scenes of ice towers...some with dog sleds and tents in the background or hinted at.

The largest canvas she was working on now....a impossiably large cavern of ice in which a maze of ice lit from within sterched off into a far off distance...

She glaced up at Kell when the door opened. "Oh hi, babe. Gosh, you look beat, want me to fix you something to eat?"

 

[Democable]

Damien awakens with a scream "NIKKIIIII" he yells as he bolts up, he looks around to see she's not there. he lays back down and places his hand on his head "Damn Damien what did you get your self into now" he asks himself "you got yourself in with what family you never knew" comes a response, he agian shots up to see a young man standing at the enternce to his tent "who are you?" the boy smiles "A friend of your sisters, but don';t worry, those in bay city will pay for thier crimes, the Drowned one will make them pay" he says as he walks away, Damien lays back down and falls asleep, thinking of the boy's words

 

[Morgoth]

Dan Williams sat in a chair, at least as best he could, listening to the radio. He went through stations quickly, finally settling on a rock station. He opened up a book and began to flip through carefully, looking at the words and seeming to absorb them. In reality, his turbulent mind forgot them just as quickly as he saw them.

A vision. Darkness swirling. Two people screaming. A woman and girl. A man screaming. Who were they? He knew the man. It was...

He awoke instantly, snapping back to reality. The Crusher lifted up the book, sniffing it, and with a growl, shredded it.

Another. A man in a straightjacket being led down a long corridor. His mouth hung open, and his tongue slobbered down. A feral glint lit his eyes, and darkness enshrouded him as another man came forth, plunging a needle into the other's arm.

Dan Williams stared in horror at the mess and set it down. He clutched his head in pain and confusion, wondering what the visions meant. Who were they? What was happening?

 

[Jacobo_Curious]

Kell

He looked up at her for a few seconds. They stared at each other.

Eat?

Where am I?

Oh, this is Mary.

Hey, this is her apartment, isn't it?

Now how did I get here?

Mmm. I walked.

Did I really?

Is Amy here?

Oh, no, she's at home.

Here?

No, the other home.

Oh.

Eat?

"Eat?" he said, still confused. His eyes seemed glazed over. "Eat what?" He wandered toward the couch he had slept on before, looking at something nonexistant in the distance with a look of confused concentration. "Is there a phone? I think... I think I'd better call Amy's house. To talk to her."

He looked at Mary for a few moments, as if remembering who she was.

"I think I'm going to pass out," he said matter-of-factly.

He fell on the couch.

"Hnnngh," he muttered. "Wait: did you say eat? Because I'm hungry. Wait. Wait. Yeah. Yes. I'm hungry."

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Mary

Mary wiped her hands on a rag and kissed Kell on the forehead. "Just relax, k?"

She quickly whipped up a omlett and some OJ with some toast and with marmalade. She woke him to eat it, as he looked as if he needed fuel more than rest.

 

[Jacobo_Curious]

Kell

"Relax? Ahh..."

He smiled softly as Mary kissed him on the forehead and busied herself making something to eat. He glanced back at her out of the corner of his eye, watching her work with that strange, cheerful expression she usually had, and closed his eyes.

Ahh... kiss...

<<--->>

"Honey, I'm home!"

An older Kell swept through the door, a big grin on his face.

"I just got finished taking out the trash!"

Out the window, an explosion, and the pained roar of a monster. The studio audience laughs.

"Oh, Kell, dear!" said an older Mary, shaking back her white-blonde hair and giving him a kiss on the forehead. The studio audience cooed in adoration. "You must be so exhausted. Just relax, k?"

<<--->>

Kell woke up to Mary offering him the food and orange juice she had prepared.

"Thank you, darling," he murmured, his brow furrowed in confusion as he accepted the offering.

I think somebody slipped some morphine into me while I was working at the hospital...

He took a bite, chewing slowly, and just then realized exactly how hungry he was. "Wow. It's been hours... I'm so out of it. It must be late. I'll call Amy tomorrow... I'm sure she's fine..." He looked up at Mary, blinking for a few moments, before smiling. "You two went to the concert together, right? And hey -- I still owe you for that meal... I forgot about that..."

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Mary smiled and slipped half her own omlett onto his plate.

"Don't worry about, I'm sure I have more cash socked away that you have."

She chewed thoughtfully. "Amy and I had a great afternoon anyway, we went shopping and did girly things before the concert. The concert was kinda of a bummer deal, but I saw Amy home safely and she was going straght to bed herself, so calling her might not be a good idea."

She glanced over at her easel. "Why don't you take my bed tonight. I am, as they say, in the grip of the muse tonight and I simply have to paint."

She looked at her paint splattered hands. "It's this thing about artists, sometimes, the art drives you."

"So, do you mind giving up this lumpy old couch for my bed?"

 

[Lady_Siren]

Nikki tried to throw herself into Mark's embrace but Damien's face kept intruding. Images of them making love danced before her minds eye. Reluctantly she forced herself to pull away from Mark feeling like a tease. She rushed to apologize "I'm sorry Mark. I can't do this. At least not tonight." she bit her lip "It's just been a long week. I hope you understand." she waited for Mark's answer hoping he wouldn't feel as if she had led him on. Damn Damien for doing this to her! Was she ever going to be rid of him?

 

[Jacobo_Curious]

Kell

Despite himself, Kell couldn't help but turn a little pink at the mention of taking Mary's bed. He narrowed his eyebrows, angry at himself for taking it too seriously, and chewed vigorously, hoping to make his blush go away.

I'm mature. I'm mature. I can handle something this simple. Really, Kell. If you're going to be angsty, you can't take yourself so seriously. It's not attractive. You have to be empathetic, assertive, and have a light heart. And then there's that whole "passion for life" thing. What do women MEAN by that, anyway?

...what? What am I thinking about?

What was I thinking about?

Oh, right. Sleeping with Mary. I mean, in Mary's bed.

He blushed again.

Damn!

"Are you sure? It doesn't seem very chivalrous," he said, quirking his mouth down and trying as best he could to dispell the pinkness in his cheeks. "But, if you really aren't going to be sleeping, I might as well. And I don't want to turn down your offer. It's very kind of you."

He looked down and realized he had already finished all his food, surprising himself.

It SEEMED like a lot more food than that... what happened to it?

Unconsciously, he tilted his head back and forth to make sure he hadn't dropped anything, as if his brain wasn't able to accept that he had eaten that quickly.

He stood up slowly, putting his clean plate on the couch, and looked up at Mary. Then, still with a confused expression on his face, he enveloped her in a tight hug.

"I... almost died today," he whispered. "Mary, this is a scary job. I-I was lucky I went to the bathroom before leaving the restaurant, cuz..."

His attempt at humor faded when he pulled back and Mary saw the hidden terror in his eyes.

"I got attacked. With guns. And swords. I had to kill somebody..."

He shook his head, still looking into her eyes.

"I've always wanted the power to protect those I love," he continued quietly. "So... I don't know why I'm so afraid..."

He realized, then, something strange. Only minutes before, he had been trying unsuccessfully to banish sexual thoughts about Mary from his mind. And now, as he held her, and spoke, he couldn't even force himself to think of them. He felt honest. His rational voice, the one that always made fun of him for being melodramatic, was quiet. He felt honest -- genuine.

The flicker of self-respect in his heart -- not his ego, but his self-respect -- burned brighter for a few moments.

Then, the feeling was gone. And, unfortunately, as he held her, the press of her chest against his suddenly became much, much more apparent. He released her abruptly, looking down at the ground.

He didn't want Mary. He didn't THINK so. But the only other person he had ever felt genuine with, ever felt so honest with... was Amy.

What does this mean?

I think it means... I'm becoming a better person.

"Thanks, Mary," he said, for all the reasons in the world and no reason in particular, and looked up into her eyes, smiling.

Then, somewhat embarassed and realizing that she probably didn't know what was going on in his head, he looked down again and chuckled nervously.

"I'll... I'll take the bed. Thanks."

 

[SwampThing]

Nikki's room brightens again as she pulls away from Mark. He merely shrugs, pouring them both glasses of wine.

"Suit yourself. Here's to comrades-in-arms, then, and to getting stinking rich together!"

After the toast, he leaves Nikki alone with the bottle, her battle armour, and her thoughts.
_______________________

When Damien awakes again, the sun is up in the desert sky. Merrick sits in the shade of the tent with her dogs, mixing her herbs and powders. The boy, also a weaver, tends a small fire. When the hawk returns with a rabbit, he begins to skin and roast it. Merrick waves Damien over.

"Here, drink this. Your wounds have healed well, but you will need your strength built up after days of Argon medicines. It's terrible that the Dracon people have fallen so low as to rely on this decadent nation. Another of our father's mistakes. I am going to kill him, Damien. With or without your help. But I want you to join me. Not for your power, but for your spirit."

 

[Lady_Siren]

Nikki sat on her bed and proceeded to get as drunk as possible. Her entire life had changed tonight. She had left her old one behind and now she was truly alone. Of course there was Chapel, and Mark was nice but they weren't her friends. They weren't her love... her mind once again drifted to Damien. Without meaning to her mind reached out to his calling for him, craving his voice. There was no reply, where was he? Could he hear her at all. Regretfully she pulled away feeling hopeless. "Damien, why did you do this to me?"

 

[SwampThing]

Saturday

Its a quiet weekend in Bay City. The heat wave continues, and the Mayor advises everyone to stay indoors until the authorities are certain the thing that attacked the Twelve concert has left the area. Soldiers from the nearby army base can be seen moving through the city streets, and military helicopters circle overhead.

The news shows continuous loops of the events of the last few days; The Drowned Woman, the black dragon creature, the death of Nikki Hall, and the teenaged boy from Coda healing the wounded in the city's various hospitals (this one always followed by an advertisement for Coda fuel cells).

At the parliament building, debates rage between the Ministries of Science, Defense, and Information, as well as religious leaders and representatives of GAIA, over what the apparition of the legendary Phrygian ghost means, and how to deal with it.

 

[DruggedUpCookie]

Brent wandered into the city, looking about in awe at the towering buildings. He had thought that he lived in a big city, but this blew his old home away. As he walked through the streets, he wondered.

Look at all these people! Some of them have to be like me, they have to be gifted. I mean, there's so many of 'em.

Pretty soon, he found what he was looking for. A small hotel situated above a bar. Brent walked into the bar, sauntering up to the bartender. "I need a room," he said, "how much?" "$50 a night," he answered. Brent forked over the money and was handed the key. He nodded, smiling, and just as he was about to turn around, he stopped. "Say, you wouldn't happen to know where those Gifted are hiding?" Brent asked. "Sure, but i don't know why anybody'd be going there," he said, "yeah, it's called the Coda corporation." He then laughed uproariously, turning away. Brent swore loudly and went up to his room, unamused with the bartender's humor.

 

[Morgoth]

Blood leaked from his eyes. He screamed, trying to rinse it out. Here was his third side. A terrfied middle-ground between Dan Williams and the Crusher, where every spilled drop and misplaced shirt meant a hidden death. He was always afraid, a nameless, horrible fear. His eyes continued to bleed, and now, it moved to his ears and nose, as well as the spikes in his back. It did that regularly now. His scream intensified, and suddenly stopped as the Crusher raised his head from the water. He gazed at himself in the mirror, and just looked at the horrible visage staring back at him. In rage, he punched through a wall. With a shake of his head, Dan Williams collapsed, clutching his knees and shaking his head in an attempt to dispel the horrible agony as the blood continued to flow. His mental self bled too, just not as visibly. It just hurt worse.

Stop this. Stop this horrible pain. It hurts so much.

I need to find it! I must find it! If I don't I'll... I'll what?

I don't know! Something terrible!

It hurts so much!

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Bay City Times

STRANGE EVENTS AT TWELVE CONCERT by Faith Honai, Freelance reporter

In a week of unusual activity many of Bay Cities residents were looking forward to the releif a Twelve concert would bring. The 35,000 seat Kieger Auditorm was standing room only, with many more fans outside in the parking lot hoping to see the band and dancing to their latest release when a paranormal occurance took place in view of the patrons inside but affected everyone in within one square mile of the Auditorm.

Directly after Twelve performed their newest song "River Woman" water began to pour from behind the stage and a figure which was readily identified as the Drowned Woman appeared from the sheet of water and telepathically warned concert goers that a monster had escaped the isle.

Paniced the crowded indoors milled about, but scant seconds after the apparition a monstous figure crashed through the wall of the Auditorm and began kiling people at random.

Meanwhile, on the roof a firefight began between bounty hunters and the known assassian "Nikki" which apparently ended in her death, as witnessessed by dozens of concert goers. The firefight resulted in a hole being blown in the roof to scatter debries on the concert goers below, inciteing even more panic and fear.

The creature which had been imoluateing people suddenly stopped attacking and underwent a horrific change with spikes bursting from his skin as he howled in pain. As he recovered, he leapt through the roof the building and disappeared.

Police and military units are on the look out for the creature, which is assumed to still be in the area. Coda has leant it's team of gifted to the search; includeing the meta human known as Monolith who matches the creature in at least size.

"We have no comment on the events that happened here tonight at this time." is the offical police statement; however sources have said that the police are unsure if the seemingly random events are connected or not. Nikki the assassian is known to have some telepathic ablity, and she might have produced the Drowned Woman. Or the creature might have itself sent a warning, subconsiously trying to warn its victims before begining the killing spree. Investigation has proven that the water did not come from a broken pipe, and Twelve did not have the figure programed into their speical effects.

Everyone publicly states, however, that they doubt the Downed Woman sighting was an actual paranormal event.

See related stories: Gifted Healers Help in Time of Crisis; Gifted or Cursed: Protecting ourselves from harm; Monster Spotted Eariler in the City

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Mary

Mary listened to Kell's story in silence, but her face eloquently speaking for her as her eyes widened in shock; softened in concern, and small shakes of her head in amazement.

"Oh Kell, you've got to learn your limits, and the correct way to take care of yourself when drawing on your power so much!" She said, brushing a lock of his hair off of his forhead.

"Sleep now, and..." She glanced at her paintings. "We really should talk about some things when you get up."

She kissed his cheek and pushed him towards the bedroom.