Loa Blood

[SwampThing]

Bridges

"Where is Nikki?" Mark inquires into his discreet collar microphone. His earpiece hums that she had gone out without her bodyguards or her armmor again. She was somewhere in the city, but none of his people could locate her.

Mark turns his attention back to the row of monitors in front of him, each displaying the view of a different tiny remote robot bee. Each view is of Hass' greenhouse. On three sides of the building, Killer Bee agents battled with her deadly Cold Blood ninjas. On the east side, two Gifted held his forces at bay. A man using sonic powers to disrupt the huge assault drone. "That would be Symphony." Mark mused, calling up the musician's file. The girl, an unknown using hypnotic dance, is overpowering four of his agents at once. The men are expendable. The robot was an expensive risk, but the mission was a success. Now they know that Hass has two Gifted working for her, and what their powers are. Mark gives his collar microphone the command for the remaining agents to withdraw, and returns to the window.

The Aralian man is all hard lines against the glow of Bridges' lights. His body hard from years of physical training, his face hard from years of proffesional killing. He has close-cropped silver hair, an expensive black suit, and a yellow bee tatoo on his hand from a back alley gang initiation a long time ago.

Nikki should be here to share this with him. They are more than just business partners, they are lovers. He helped her to fake her own death back in Bay City, and disappear from the world. They had been sent to Bridges together, to topple the rival Cold Blood gang's control of the city. They had spent months planning this takeover. They had a huge mobile base disguised as an oil tanker in the harbor, filled with loyal agents and cutting edge gadgets. And their first mission was a success. Nikki should be here to celebrate with him.

 

[Democable]

OFF: Speeding time up abit

Damien laided with Nikki in his arms, thier love making going most of the night, Damien looked over to her as she slept, he slide out of bed and fixed himself something to drink, then waled back over to the balcony and looked back into the city

 

[LadyRozes]

Roza saw that the men she had suggested to them to sleep had basically done exactly that. Thankful she didnt have to deal with anything as of yet. Looking around at the destruction around her, she so afraid of destruction had managed to stay conscious long enough to avoid getting hurt, and stopping further destruction.

Looking for symphony she saw that he had taken care of the mechanical moster with his sonic vibrations and the rest of the attackers were backing away.

She felt so shattered and afraid. Shaking she finally let go of her survival kick, fainting she collapsed in a heap on the floor.

 

[Lady_Siren]

Nikki woke slowly her eyes fluttering open. The full impact of when she had just done hit her. She shouldn't be here. She was the queen bee. Something that she loved doing and she was good at it. She couldn't afford to drag Damien into that mess. Then there was Mark. She didn't know what she felt for Mark. She definitly desire him, and she knew her feelings for him ran deep but did they go as deep as the ones she had for Damien. She sighed closing her eyes. She was so confused. She had given in to an impulse, she had let her surprise and confusion over find Damien cloud her judgment. She had to get out of here and back to Mark. No matter what she felt for Damien she wasn't going to drag him into her twisted world. He deserved better then that. She sat up slowly her eyes on his lone figure by the window. She stood up slowly and began to dress. She knew he could hear her but he didn't say anything. "Damien, I think I should go. I need to think and I can't do that around you. You seem to drive out all my good sense." She avoided her gaze desperate to escape and sort all her thoughts and feeling out.

 

[Democable]

Damien turned around and looked into her eyes, knowing the truth was in them "go, I'll be fine and it was good seeing you agian Nikki, i hope we meet agian" He sighed, nodded and turned back to the city, looking out at it and sipping his drink slowly only hearing his door open and shut

 

[Lady_Siren]

Nikki hesitated wanting to say more, to make him understand he was better off without her. But now was not the time. She left silently hurrying out of the hotel. She pulled her hood up sheilding her face. She was still a wanted woman. The Aralian bounty hunters may believe her dead but one chance sighting and that would all change. She arrived back at the Killer Bee's base without any mishap. She took a deep breath her extreme self disipline back in place. Now to find Mark.

 

[Democable]

Damien keep his eyes on the city just wondering what was going to come next for him

 

[SwampThing]

Argopolis

"Valos, who's a pretty girl? Who's a pretty girl? You are! There now, all clean. Sleepy time. Mommy loves you. Yes I do. Yes I do!"

Valos is laying in her crib, late afternoon sunlight streaming through her bedroom window, turning the frost on the window pane into a forest of crystal and rainbows. Valos knows she is different. Mommy and Daddy are dark, their skin as black as the night sky. So are their friends and relatives who come to gush and goo at her, and the other babies they bring to play with her (who all seem rather slow). Valos herself is pale.

Mommy and Daddy both work in the house. They both draw at drawing tables all day. Mommy draws dresses and suits, and Daddy draws houses and tall office buildings. They both take turns checking in on Valos. She has a room full of sun, a crib full of toys, and two parents who adore her. But Valos knows she doesn't belong here.
__________________________

Loki steps off the bus into bright sunlight and crunching snow. The bus station is crowded, but Loki is the only pale, non-Argon in it, and he attracts a few stares. After Bay City, Argopolis is bright, busy and clean. Bright winter sky shows in long bars between the impossible gleaming skyscrapers.

Loki sees the data streams flashing like lightning between those towers. He can pinpoint the police aircars overhead (Argopolis is one of the only cities in the world with flying cars, and here it's only police and other very important vehicles). He sees the huge floating beacon pointing him to Pine Heights, the subburbs where Valos adopted family lives.

 

[SwampThing]

Bridges

Roza quietly puts her four Killer Bee agents to sleep. Just then, a squad of green-clad ninja come around the corner of the building. Green masks on their faces, green blades drawn and ready. The ninja move in to surround Roza and the fallen Killer Bees, tensed and looking out for more enemy agents.

Nearby, the huge robot war-bee whines and wobbles in the air. Symphony's deflected missile strike hit the machine in a dozen places through its already damaged armor. Crippled as it is, the bee still swivels to follow Symphony, its six arsenal-arms whirring as it switches from missile launchers to some other deadly weapon.

Suddenly, a green-masked ninja leaps from the roof onto the robot's back. He is at least a head taller than the others, and twice as broad in the shoulders. The huge man lashes a long chain around one flailing antenae, and plunges a long green knife between two metal plates dislodged by sonic disruption. As the bee sparks and falls from the sky, the big ninja leaps from it's back and lands on the ground near Roza.

The robot falls into the street and explodes in fire and shrapnel.
The big man leaps on top of the fallen Roza, and sheilding her body as the four captured agents explode as well. The other ninja jump back in time and avoid the blast.

The air is full of flames and smoke as the large man lifts Roza in his powerful arms. He addresses Symphony in silhouette against the burning heap of debris.

"The cowards hide behind their machines, and would kill their own men rather than let us interrogate them. I am Komodo. I thank you for intervening in our aid."

 

[Lady_Siren]

Nikki approached Mark from behind and put her hands on his shoulders. "I assume our plan went well? Im sorry I was not here, there was something I needed done." She leaned down and kissed his ear. Mark was where she belonged, he was someone who understood her. No matter what her feelings were for Damien she couldn't give into them again.

 

[Democable]

Damien grabed his coat off the back of the chair, taking a knife from the kicten, he slit two holes into the back of it, he wipped it around and placed it on, he walked back to the balcony and with a grunt, juttered his wings out and though the coat. he flapped them a few times and took off into the city

 

[cats]

Valous

IC: I stare at the doll next to me. It's not very exciteing, jsut a plain toy. most my age wouldn't care, but they aren't like me. They are weird, perhaps I'm not like them. These two people, Mom and Dad, are they not like me.

My fatehr came in and I looked at him wondering what his plans were. I supose he wanted me to be happy, and I supose I am. Or am I? I just don't belong here do I? Well this place is dull enough, I supose I will look else were. I closed my eyes to beter clear my mind, and use my other senses.

I began to move my second vision down the street to see what was happening else where. All of the poeple here went about their bussness unaware of me, in my crib. There dark skin was an ironic item. They were dark like shadows, and yet I was the shadow moving amoung them.

Wait whats that? A light skined fellow, some one like myself, where did he come from why is he here, what does he have in relation to me? I must speak to him, I must know.

I moved my senses to where he was and with some effort began to bend the light to show a young white girl, I opened it's mouth and vibrated the air into a voice. "We must spe..." I opened my eyes with a head ache, and completely powerless.

I hadn't been able to do it! I couldn't reach him, I was siply a flash of the form I desired and the slightest voice ebfore being done. My head throbed in pain and I couldn't stop myself from crying. "Waahhh ahhh aahhhh" My father looked down with some concern to my current condition but I didn't care.

 

[SwampThing]

Bridges

NIa drops Tag with a swift final blow to the side of his head. When he does not rise, the other ninja's in training bow to Nia, and Otto calls her away from the ring. Two other students enter it immediately and begin to grapple.

"Wonderful form Nia." says Otto. "I knew our young disciples had much to learn from you. You even defeated him without the use of your Gift, didn't you? You've clearly recovered well from your ordeal. And now I owe you a fovour, anything you ask. Perhaps you'd like to think it over, and ask me when you see me at Madame's next concert?"
____________________

"Nikki! I was worried. What was so important you had to miss our opening assault?" Mark takes Nikki up to the deck of the disguised oil tanker that serves as their base. The bright neon lights of the city glow through the steamy swamp mists around them, illuminating the many low, stone bridges that give the city its name. A waiting young agent pours chilled champagne and then quietly goes below.

"Well, we learned that Hass has two Gifted bodyguards, a sound manipulator, and a hypnotic dancer. And they still don't know about you, beautiful. That's our edge. THat and the boatload of robots we're standing on.

"So, the city's got gambling, prostitution, smuggling drugs, guns and Loa Blood across the border into Svetla, and now there are these new underground Gifted cage-fighting rings. That bitch Hass and her Cold Blood control all of it. We know she's holding some fancy-dress party in a few days, entertaining diplomats from Svetla. She must be planning something, but what? We had better make our next move fast, before she figures out where we are. Any ideas?"
____________________________

Damien sees that the giant robot battle is over, local authorities responding to the fire at the greenhouse. From the air, the city is a sprawling tangle of wide canals and narrow streets clustered around a central mass of glowing casino-hotels. To the south, the city lights dim and fade to slums, then to swamp, and beyond, the red mountains of Svetla.

Damien notices a long line of people outside a bar advertising "Live Show Tonight". A few side streets away, he hears a scream from a woman in an alleyway.

 

[Lady_Siren]

Nikki smiled feeling her tension leave her in Marks presence. "So, the city's got gambling, prostitution, smuggling drugs, guns and Loa Blood across the border into Svetla, and now there are these new underground Gifted cage-fighting rings. That bitch Hass and her Cold Blood control all of it. We know she's holding some fancy-dress party in a few days, entertaining diplomats from Svetla. She must be planning something, but what? We had better make our next move fast, before she figures out where we are. Any ideas?" She bit her lip thinking. "Maybe we should find a way to infiltrate this dress party? We could learn alot of valuable information."

 

[cats]

Nia

IC: He's down? he's staying down... Well that was Eassy but I guess he should be, my last opnent was.. That monster. I walk out of the ring letting the next two spar. I hate that beast.

'Wonderful form Nia.' Well thats a bit to much in Flattery. 'I knew our young disciples had much to learn from you. You even defeated him without the use of your Gift, didn't you?' Gift! He noticed, how did he figure it out? 'You've clearly recovered well from your ordeal. And now I owe you a fovour, anything you ask. Perhaps you'd like to think it over, and ask me when you see me at Madame's next concert?'

"Um yeah I recovered from the ordeal... What gift? I don't know what your talking about." Must hdie my dishonor! I can't let him know!

 

[DarkThoughts01]

Symphony
As the dust from the explosions drifted and finally setteld he stood,wiping dust off of his clothes with an almost bored look.
"and here i was thinking i had left all the fun back in Bay City"He sighed to himself nad turned ot teh ninja,giving a shortmcurt bow,and a polite nod."the thanks are mine Komodo".That was it,nothing more.He tunred a bit,reaching into his pocket and pulling out a cell phone.He flicke dit open and dialed in a call."excuse me for a moment,i have to bring this event up wiht a friend of mine."

He stepped a few feet away and started speaking tersly as soona s his old Bay City Killer Bee contact answered.
"what the hell are your people doing in Bridges?no no,better yet why are they assaulting the building i am at and atacking me?i want answers,otherwise..."there was a brief,high note that crossed itno the phone,and a startled yelp on the other line.He listened closely for another minute then hung up the phone in disgust.His contact wasnt high enough up anymore.

He turned back to Komodo,noting he is still there."well?whats wrong with you?see to Miss Roza"he gestured,the edge in hsi voice enough to make most jump into motion.

Loki
Loki felt out of sorts.
His skin crawled,it was too damn Cold! He was freezing to death.He shivered and looked around as people walked around him wearing half as much as him and he gritted hsi teeth.
He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples,feelking sick for a moment before blinking,looking in front of him and...
Jumping wiht a yelp,falling on his rear in teh snow
He blinked,and realized it was just a young girl.
"We must spe..."
Then she was Gone?
He blinekd again,and quickly looked right and left.A few of the people around him looked at him funny and some tried to stifle a laugh at this pale crazy one.He stood up and looekd around,his eyes picking out the huge beacon.
He though about running,and thought about leaving,but he felt a another wave of naseu and blinking rapidly to focus before sighing.Whatever was wrong with him didnt like the idea of leaving.
With that,he started troting off towards whatever awaited him...

 

[SwampThing]

Bridges

Symphony's old Bay City Killer Bee contact yelps in pain as his office phone stung his ear. The fat smuggler's office overlooks the newly reconstructed docklands.

"I'm, I'm sorry Symphony. We were unaware that you were staying at Hass' greenhouse. The Bay City branch of the Killer Bees has been badly weakened by the destruction of city. Plus we've got ah. . . a bug problem here keeping us busy. The Chapel family made the call to send an occupying force into Bridges to challenge the Cold Blood rule. If you've got a problem with that, you can take it to the family heads in Aralia." Symphony hangs up and the fat smuggler wipes his sweaty face.
________________________

Komodo listens carefuly to Symphony's phone call. The musician is speaking quietly, and had waked a few meteres away, but in all the excitement of the battle, he had forgotten to create a silence field around his conversation.

The huge masked nanja doesn't react outwardly, but gently carries the unconscious Roza into the main atrium/opium den, and lays her on one of the soft, low couches. Hass' private security has the fire outside under control, and her ninja security seal off the damaged areas.

Hass finally appears in the atrium in a simple but elegant gown and long gloves, her snake draped around her pale shoulders. With the hulking Komodo behind her, Hass addresses Roza and Symphony. She seems unruffled by the assault on her home.

"I echo Komodo's thanks. The Killer Bees have never been so bold. This is an open declaration of war for the city. Greenhouse security will have to be increased, but as you see, the Aralians will always have the advantage of superior technology. We have only our faith in the almighty Loa. You two are their Gifted, heirs of their sacred Blood. It is as a humble worshipper that I ask you to remain with us until your performance, and to continue to protect us. I am at the mercy of your compassion and power."

 

[SwampThing]

Bridges

Mark holds Nikki close on the deck of the disguised tanker ship, and kisses her deeply.
"Infiltrate the party? I'm sure we could learn a lot. But how? It's a very exclusive guest list. I suppose we could quietly replace a couple of the local gangsters with invites, but we'd need some pretty great disguises. We're both to obviously Aralian. I'd hate to bring you into a dangerous situation like that, but if anything did go down, we'd need your power."
_______________________

"What gift? I don't know what your talking about." Otto blinks, caught revealing far to much, but he tries to carry on smoothly.

"Your sai of course, my dear. You defeated Tag without your sai?What other gift could I be talking about?"

 

[Lady_Siren]

Nikki kissed him back pressing into him. "I am sure with our abilities we will be able to disguise me efficiently. There will be danger but there is danger in everything that we do. We will need my gift. I can easily discern when someone lies, which may prove invaluable to our extraction of information."

 

[cats]

Nia

IC: "Yes um... That is the only gift." He doesn't know he won't know! "Yes well I figured they wouldn't um, be fair. So I left them on." I wodner if I should tell him I had a bad experince with sais, no that would lead to questions and it is the thought that counts right? "Also I didn't want to damage them." Sia's where what I used when I was fighting on the dracon island or more apropriatly a sai is what I was useing during that time. So my skill with one in each hand is probaly udner par now. Oh well I guess I can practice. "So I'll get back to you with that request some other night." I do see you enough now I supose.

 

[LadyRozes]

Roza woke up to find herself in the arms of a large man dressed in green before she could scream the man puts her down on of the low couches .. all she manages to say was "thank you .. for takingme from ..dager.." Confused she really didnt know how she came to be in the arms of a man dressed in green.


When Madame Hass came and thanked them, all that kept runnning through her mind was how she would do the performance and then get herself out of the middle of some war... she wasnt a fighter .. she just didnt feel like seeing so much distruction everywhere

And why was everyone telling her she had this loa blood. How in the world did she get exposed to it?? I mean she didnt feel different.

SHe smiled at MAdame HAss and said, "Yes, I will still do your performance.. .. um jsut wondering where we will be able to practice .. the practice room is pretty much destroyed... wouldnt you say syumphony?"

 

[DarkThoughts01]

Symphony
Symphony hung up his phone in disgust as he walked back in,slipping teh phone into a pocket,more agitated then his now calm profile showed.Dammit,he shouldnt have relied on the Kilelr Bee contact for protection,he was nothing more then a toady.

He smiled politely at Madam,even as he gave her a nasty,migraine induced,sub-sonic ring in her head,just in a bit of calming release of anger.

"i think one of the empty dance-rooms on the third story would work just fine as a rehearsal area,wouldnt you Madam?"
He smiled and looked down at Roza,examning her to see if she was injured to any great lenght,and finding no serious injury smiled gentyl and turned back to Hass."If you will excuse us Madam,i will escort Miss Roza to her rooms,i think she should be allowed to lie down for a bit after all the excitement,dont you?"

 

[SwampThing]

Dracon Island

Beneath a dome of shimmering grey energy lies an island of monsters. Leathery, many-headed things patrol the skies, shrieking and lancing each other with lightning and death beams. The shattered cities crawl with furtive, half-human shapes, then flare up suddenly in storms of impossible violence.

Outside of the cities, mutated plants cover the land. Near the center of the island, just before the wilderness rises into high grey mountains, a long range of hills is held by a single entity, a hive-mind forest of animated trees and reanimated animals. At the heart of this forest, a spire of violet crystal towers above the treetops. At the base of this tower lies the Crusher.

It has been many months since the creature was sealed away beneath the force-field dome. The Crusher's demonic, chrome and black form is completely obscured by creeper vines and orange puff-ball fungi.

 

[cats]

Nia and Valous

IC: Nia: "Well that was Fun Danni." 'So you had a good time with Otto.' "I won a bet during a fight. He's offered me jsut about anything he can get. Just not sure what to ask for." I walked towards my room takeing my cloaths off. An interesting delemia, honestly I jsut want my honor back.

IC: Valous: I franticly moved around the city trieing to find this light skinned man, I saw yesterday. While my body may be stuck in a crib my mind can run freely, and see what I need to see. Once I find him I can watch till I know where I can likely speak to him. That way I won't waste energy again like last time. I msut find this outsider, and udnerstand why I am here.

 

[DarkThoughts01]

Loki
Loki trudged up a long winding street,blinking almsot every few seconds,turnign everything into an old clipped motion picture as hsi eyes were blinded by the snow.
He sighed and trudged on soem more,stopping at a small cafe,ordering a light meal with almost the last of his money,assuaging the hunger in his stomach at least as he wondered what the hell wqs going on