Nightworld

[CollegeCutie]

Miss Brooks

She was a little surprised when he suddenly grabbed her hand and led her out of the building, but she didn't complain. The feel of her hand in his was comforting, like it belonged there. He was her only memory, the only clue to her past. She would go wherever he lead her.

The silence when they stepped outside was deafening. Somehow she knew that there should be noise. Even though she hadn't seen anyone from the window earlier she had half expected there to be people walking down the sidewalks, cars cruising down the streets. But she saw no sign of anyone other than themselves, and the only cars she saw were parked.

That way.

"Are you sure? Did you remember something?"

 

[poohlive]

The question stopped him. He had been walking... no, running. Running down the street, toward freedom, toward some glimmering light, toward the evening skyline that showed a preview of promise, of hope, of lifting the gloom from their eyes. Her words, innocent, curious, stopped him in his tracks. He licked his lips, as if he did this often under stress. It was a human thing, a personality quirk, a part of Martin coming through.


God it hurt, not knowing the person who you are.

"I don't know," He stared in the direction, turned back, confused, puzzled, worrying over the choice before them, the option. The choice of choosing, deciding, coming back with a plan, trying to get something together. There was a plan, Stan. Welcome to the plan, but there was no plan. Sorry Stan, no plan. They needed a plan, without a plan, they were as good as...

Thoughts warped through his brain like kid bubbles, popping and sticking to the surfaces, oozing and fuddling the machinery.

Martin went up to her, close, his eyes glued to hers. A moment of touch, simple, caressing, so brutal it scared even him as his heart fluttered, skipping a beat, hundreds of fellings, emotions, protocals, all lacking reason, lacking thought, lacking will. The mental capacity of a duck inside the sheen new model of a human being.

He kissed her, soft but awkward, like some teenage date, some sweet simple determined lovers crossing, unable to hold on, but determined to let go. He had wished, hoped, prayed before himself that the kiss, her warm lips, her tilted neck, the very look in her glazed eyed could bring back a memory, a thought, a direction they could go in.

Luna's diner, the answer revealed as he kissed her, on the sidewalk, in the middle of nothing, near nowhere, close to heaven, and just over the pit of hell.

It was cold... there was a draft, someone had left the door open, and hell was gaping below... cold fires burning at their feet.

As Martin let go of the kiss, let go of her, he thought for a moment it did come back. A car horn blast, sending pictures and thoughts and feelings and reasons and personality square back where it belong... but it was a wish, a gentle fart in the wind, gone before he knew it. He tried to grab at it, cling to it, but it was gone.

But... it was never really there in the first place. He had just willed something so much, false hopes brought him out of the gutter for a mere second, so he could stare into the abyssmal millenia of sky above, and then fall back into the mud where he belonged.

Where they were waiting for him, grasping at him.

He licked his lips, infatuated with her taste. He wanted more, drinking her in, feeling every inch of her on his skin, but as he pulled in he stopped. No, not here, that wouldn't be right, would it?

They were strangers, less than strangers. They were strangers of themselves, with strangers of each other. All they had was a single memory, split between them, like some hot fudge sundae with extra sprinkles.

He hated sprinkles.

"I think I loved you," He said, licking his lips again, her taste there, but weak, cold, getting weaker. He wanted to kiss her again, let that taste come back, let her come back to him. It was soo good.

"I don't know where to go, I'm sorry. I thought... I thought I did, but... "

He refused to say what they were both thinking.

... we're all alone.

 

[msboy8]

The German Guy

I watched the standoff in the diner. I decided to rise from concealment and to got to the door. I did not feel the need for self-preservation, knowing somehow that it didn't manner.

Whatever happened to me would not change the big picture. This was something I knew, Somehow, and accepted. I got closer to the door to the cafe, wondering if I had been noticed yet. That also did not matter, but I did not want to startle anyone. My hand touched the doorknob.

 

[badbabysitter]

the girl

She stroked the head of the collapsed man, she could amost feel fire run through her finger tips at his touch. There was something wrong with this man. Something altered.

Something..red.

But she could have sworn she felt him relax in his slumber when she touched him, like comfort in a storm.

" Poor man..there is so much confusion..so much pain..I.."

Shewas cut off as the bell at the door jangled.

The two spun and saw the tall blonde man in the doorway.

White light exploded in her skull

He was at the door, like before.But in a black suit.Black hat.Black shoes.

Menace in his features. They couldnt leave that way. He would lead us straight to THEm.

She didnt trust him. But she had no choice. His name was...his name was...


"Gunther" she rasped out.

She felt a trip from her nose. She wiped her face. Blood on her hands. Damn these nose bleeds



--------------------------

Elsewhere

The two men in black sat on a roof top under a big neon hotel sign. They were smoking.

" so let me get this right..."

"Here we go again."

Hugo was tired of this same shit. It seemed like Roger couldnt remember jack from one mission to the next.

" we're here for this Brooks chick, cuz she's got the ring"

"right"

" but we've got the ring , we just cant use it right"

" yeah" he took another drag

" so we need Brooks to use the ring right"

It was like watching slow massive tumblers eventually click, or teaching Babe the Blue Ox how to read.

" You got it Roger"

" so why the hell we dont just grab her and take her to the boss"

Oh yeah. Beacuase that would be so easy. What a dolt.

" because of the psychic bitch


" what about her"

Hugo looked nervously around, hoping SHE wouldnt hear.

" because there are two Brooks..and we cant fully use the ring unless they're attuned..and the little twerp is the only one who can do that"

" yeah..but what about the others..what I dont get is"

Hugo stood up and looked over the ledge of the building. Like clockwork.

"Shut up..they're here..like fucking lambs to the slaughter"

He watched the tall blonde man walk into Lunas from his vantage point across the street. How fucking predictable that the turn coat would show first.

Now he could only hope that cunt Brooks and her bitch boy Martin showed up.

Oh yeah...he had a score to settle withmr martial arts. A big one.And with his newest "gifts" from the boss. He could do just nicely

 

[BadForm]

Switch

[Tameka]

In the semi-darkness of the sports store it was difficult to see anything in detail. She felt her way around, passing equipment, weights, rackets and bats. There seemed to be very little clothing, and what there was was more sports outfits than the rugged outdoor gear she'd hoped for. In the end she found a set of lycra tops, shorts and studded shoes. The tops had numbers. It had to be some kind of field team sport, football or something. She searched for the one that fit her best and put it on. That, at least, made her decent.

As she searched, Tameka found evidence someone had been there. It seeme they were gone now but at least that indicated someone was around. On the other hand, it didn't speak to whether that was a safe or a dangerous someone. She walked out of the sports store and searched around. Finding nothing of interest, she simply began walking, calling out occassionally in growing nervousness.

"H-hello..." Her voice was reedy, stressed, showing the confusion of wanting to be heard and wanting not to be. "Is... Is anybody there?"

There was a light ahead and she moved towards it, slowly, nervously. As she got closer she made out the sign "Luna's"... a cafe.

 

[Kuldaboli]

The fallen

Whirling around he faced the new arrival, just barely managing to restrain his impulse to swing his weapon at the new arrival's head. Backing away to the side quickly he tried to keep all occupants in the room in his sights.

He took in the people before him.
The man with the baseball bat; Tall, well built, but he was holding the bat a bit awkwardly. It was then that he noticed that the man was missing his left hand. "What the hell could have happened to him?" he thought to himself.
The new arrival; Well, shocked mostly.
The out cold guy; He couldn't really see him. The woman was blocking his way.
The woman; Young, pretty, dark hair and a scar on her face. It looked old and not nearly as bad as his own, but it was a violation to her pretty face. His blood boiled. Who would do something like that to such a beautiful woman? And for that matter, who in their right mind would lay hands on a woman? It wasn't right. Whoever did that to her deserved a very slow and extremely painfull death.

Snapping out of his musings of murder he glanced at all three of them and noticed that they seemed to have a few things in common. For one thing, what was with the hospital gowns? They were all wearing them. And they all had that slightly lost look in their eyes.

Opening his mouth to speak, he got a very uncomfertable feeling. He seemed to be taking many short breaths as if about to speak but he couldn't get the words past his lips. He tried again, but with the same result. Getting frustraited and angry, he forced his words out through gritted teeth.

"Whhh- What the H- Hell is G- Go- Going on H- Here?!"

 

[msboy8]

The German Guy

I entered the diner and observed the people in there. My eyes registered them and decided they were not an immediate threat, despite the paddle and the bat. I decided to address the girl.

Holding up my hands, I said, "I just came in for something to eat and drink. Hope I'm not intruding.

 

[CollegeCutie]

Miss Brooks

"I think I loved you"

His words shocked her. Was there a reason behind it, or was he just speculating. She didn't know how to respond, but thankfully she didn't think that he expected her to. He licked his lips again and she couldn't help but think how sexy a gesture it was.

"I don't know where to go, I'm sorry. I thought... I thought I did, but... "

The hopelessness she saw in him was easy to recognize because it mirrored what she herself was feeling at that moment, but she refused to just stand there and let herself do nothing.

"No you were right, lets go this way. Your guess is as good as mine, but we can't just stay here. If we're wrong and we find nothing then at least we can say we tried."

She forced a small encouraging smile onto her lips and took him by the hand, urging him onward down the sidewalk.