~~ The Dark City ~~

[Paendragon]

John blinked at the woman. "What in the hell are you talking about, lady?"

"Oh, you see much, but miss everything." As if to emphasize her point, she wiggled the empty tea cup at him.

He frowned at her, than poured the tea, before putting the teapot back where he had found it. "I see enough."

"Do you?" she asked, sipping her tea. "Tell me why you hunt this woman?"

"What woman?"

"Sasha, of course."

This wasn't going at all as well as he had planned. It was time to take back control from the woman. Although he wasn't sure where he had lost it in the first place. It must be the town.

"It is," she answered. "The town is cursed in ways you couldn't imagine. Ways that can doom many more lives. And it will happen. Do you know why? I'll tell you. It's because no one fights to stop them. Oh, my daughter does. I do, as well. Perhaps even my daughters new friends will, when they finally realize their paths. Others. like you, have no concern."

"You're right, lady," he put in, when she had finished her litany. "I DON'T give a shit. I have a job to do. Now, why don't you tell me where your daughter and her friends went?"

"They'll be back here eventually, I would assume."

"You would assume?"

"This is her home after all. Your welcome to wait with me. I so rarely have visitors."

"This isn't a fucking social call!" John said, his voice raising.

"No," she said, looking down at the floor with a frown on her face. Her eyes seemed to be following something on the floor, moving slowly. "No one who visits today does so socially."

Maybe she was looking through the floor? She was looking in the direction of the kitchen... He shook his head. That was absurd. Still, she had known far too much. He moved behind her, putting her between him and the door, just in case this was some sort of trap. The daughter and her friends would have to shoot through the old woman to get him. Unless... what if it wasn't the daughter? He had, after all, left two dead men on the street. He should leave, before he got the old woman killed. Another innocent killed.

"You hunt another innocent, John."

He pressed the silencer against the back of her head. "What do you know of it?"

"I know the people she hides from, are as bad as those who control this town. They too, buy death with money."

"I'm bringing her back alive, not dead."

"See? You are blind."

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Mideon

I searched for only a few seconds, before deciding to leave. It seemed suddenly as though it made no difference where the basement was, if there even was one.
I moved stealthily toward the back door again, hearing the conversation upstairs distanlty continue. When I reached the door, I glanced out to see three men, two armed with shotguns and one with a handgun, moving toward the back door.
Not good. And I didn't recognize them, though they were still probably with the Brotherhood.
That meant two things, however, Brotherhood or not, they didn't know me, and they seldom left anyone behind when they came in groups. I thought for only a moment that perhaps I could identify myself in order to prevent a confrontation, but I doubted they would believe me, and it wasn't as if we carried badges.

 

[Lord Kenshin]

Chris turned to Sasha and smiled politely, " 'Scuse me miss, but would you like a chair to sit in?" He didn't really wait for an answer, his polite side giving way as he strolled through the room searching for a comfy chair for the lady to sit in.

He returned in a few moments, carrying a nice padded chair in front of him as he moved back into the larger area of the room where Sasha waited. He sat the chair down beside Sasha, stepped back and bowed politely. He didn't want her to be alarmed or frightened by him.

He sat slowly, looking toward the rug that covered the hole, for some reason waiting for it to flip up and a dozen armed men pop out from it. Yet nothing happened like that.

Chris turned back to Sasha, "MY name's Chris Kenshin, if you didn't happen to catch that earlier..." He gave a hopeful smile to her.

 

[crysede]

OOC
Sorry for my absence: my hard drive expired and it has taken sometime to get things functioning again.

Sasha
Giving him a quizzical look, Sasha accepted his offer of the chair to sit in. His manners were as odd as Arden's, quite unlike those she normally encountered in people of this harsh land.

Returning his smile, somewhat less wary of him than before, Sasha nodded in acknowledgment at his introduction of himself. "Well met then Chris, I am Sasha. But tell me," she continued, her voice becoming deadly serious, "you spoke of one hunting me when you first came upon us: would you tell me what you know of this person?"

 

[Lady Violet]

Arden

Arden glared at Jack.

"You mean to tell me that these are nothing but a bunch of citations? Damn!" Arden banged her hand on the table, making the lamp shake a bit. Shadows danced along the walls for a few seconds, then settled back into a dark sleep.

Arden cast her eyes down. "It's not important" she said. "Just a rumor I heard. Come on, lets get back to the others. We still have to get to the botanical shop."

 

[faust]

Onward and onward...

"Yeah, allright." Jack followed Arden back to the chamber where their companions awaited their return. He still wasn't sure why he was following this woman around like a little lamb... It probably had something to do with her uncanny resemblance to his dead wife. Still, that wasn't a good enough excuse to get himself killed over. He would follow her for now, but he would take off at the first sign of any serious trouble. Something that she had said suddenly came back to Jack. He caught up with her, "Did you say botanical shop? As in plants? Hey, you're not one of those crazyassed new-age fanatics, are you? You know, like those morons who think that rose petals can cure AIDS and shit?" He sure as hell wasn't about to be led to his death by a lunatic.

 

[Lord Kenshin]

Azreal shrugged, "Not much, he was watching you as you entered the ally before going in the door to Arden's house."

He took out his 9mm and set it beside him on the ground, feeling uneasy for some reason. "I almost ran right into him, and as I slinked into the shadows, he turned and was armed with a silenced 9mm, and a dart gun," Azreal paused for a moment, thinking, "And I believe I saw a knife or two."

He shrugged and looked back to the rug, his alertness peaking out and the adrenaline pumping quickly through his veins.

 

[crysede]

Sasha:
She nodded quietly at his words, twining a lock of her black hair around her fingers: as was her habit when her thoughts were unsettled.

He was well armed, this hunter of hers, and this was not promising news. It could only mean that not only had the clan not given up their search for her, but they still took it seriously enough to send a professional. The hope that had been building within her during the last several months, that she might one day be able to live free of the clan, flickered out of existence: there would be no end to her running, except that found in death - and that was an end she was not ready to embrace yet.

Sasha was startled out of her grim contemplation by the sound of Jack and Arden returning: Jack appeared to be angrily challenging Arden about something again. It was easy to understand his hostility toward Chris, as the latter's overtly friendly demeanor could not help but clash with Jack's standoffish nature, but she could not imagine why Arden's presence should chafe at him so.

 

[Paendragon]

"You're really starting to irritate me old woman."

"Tell me, does she look familiar to you John?"

John pulled out the picture and looked at it. The woman was beautiful, but held no recognition for him.

"She looks like a bullseye to me, lady. A bullseye with a dollar sign on it."

"Do you remember your mother, Mr. Farland?"

"My mother is dead. Just like you if you don't tell me what I want to hear. Where did they go?" He knew damned well she knew where they were. He debated whether he should shoot her in the foot to get her talking.

She looked toward the back of the house, suddenly. "Oh my. They're coming in. The spell no longer protects this house, I'm afraid. Anyone can enter now. My life is truly in your hands, as is your own."

He was seriously doubting the old woman's sanity now. She seemed to change subjects with the wind. He stepped back toward the window, and peeked through the blinds.

There were men outside.

 

[Lady Violet]

Arden

Arden turned around on a point, her face directly in front of Jacks.

"Don't say things about beliefs you know nothing about" she spat out. "Before medicine came into exsistence, herbology and natural healing was high on the list. Its dwindled since hospitals came around, but we're still in high demand, and I don't take kindly to people like you who judge me for what I do."

Arden glared into Jacks eyes, making sure he knew he had upset her. "I don't know where you get off calling me a crazyassed new-age fanatic. There are a couple of things I could say about you, and maybe your wife? Besides, rose petals are for beauty. The cure for AIDS is found in a weed." She gave him a flip of her head and returned to the others, leaving him standing there with his mouth open and his mind realing.

"Ok gang, enough resting. We've got work to do."

Arden's spirit was set on fire, not only from Jack's comments but from everything that had been going on finally caught up to her and she wasn't taking shit from no one anymore.

OOC: Im not mad at anyone... just hought it was time Arden has some backbone!

 

[faust]

Jack was taken back by Arden's wrath. Well, she was a lunatic after all... Should've known as much. Looking for a miracle cure in a botanical store? Shit, and he had thought the hippies had died out with the end of the Vietnam war. He called out after her, "Yeah, I know the cavemen used herbs for healing. That's why their lifespan was 20 fucking years!!!" Oh well, he might stick around for a while longer. He still was slightly interested as to how this would all turn out...

 

[crysede]

Sasha:
Sahsa grinned at Arden, she couldn't hide her amusement at the woman's upbraiding of Jack. She also finally realized what it was that had made Arden seem strangely familiar to her: she reminded Sasha of a woman that she had known long ago, when she was but a young child.

"My mother knew something of the old lore as well Lady Arden," she said, smiling warmly "sadly I saw very little of her art: among my people such skills are feared, and those who posses them must always hide their nature."

Her face then resumed its normal businesslike demeanor, "So, we go to find supplies then? Perhaps along the way you might tell me something of the danger that we face? I can offer you nothing in the way of help with the old ways, but I am skilled with weapons and with traps, and will give you what help I can with those should you require it."

 

[Lady Violet]

Arden

Arden ignored Jacks last comment, brushing it off as male arrogance. She smiled at Sasha and nodded her head.

"We were lucky, my mother and I. People would come to her, seeking advice, buying the herbal remedies she made. She taught me everything she knew. We couldn't finish a lot of what we wanted to do tho." Arden lowered her eyes. "Some of the towns people thought she was doing evil witchcraft and set our house on fire. She lost her sight trying to save me. It was around that time that we noticed the town changing. It was slow, nothing anyone could notice, except for my mother. I think that was the real reason they tried to kill her. They didn't count on me though! I rebuilt the house, fortifying it, and when the town started to crumble I thought we would be safe. I've been trying to find the reason behind it all and I think I came up with something. They had documents, but they turned out to be useless junk. The only other thing I know that might help is to creating a purging circle around the city, destroying anything that is evil. For this, I need ingredients and time is wasting. Thank you for your offer Sasha, I'm afraid I might be needing your talents."

Arden looked up again, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She wiped them away and turned her head. "Chris, are you afraid of heights?" she asked him.

 

[faust]

A tragic story...

Jack listned in silence as Arden told her tale. She seemed genuinely saddened by her mother's fate. Of course, Jack had never even met the woman, so he couldn't really feel any sympathy for her. Back in the day, he had killed many poeple for the Brotherhood, some of them women and children. He still felt no regret about his actions - regrets made you soft, and softness got you killed real fast around these parts.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise when Arden revealed her plan to build a "purging circle" around the city. Was she really so deluded? He spoke softly, "Around the entire city? Sure, why not. Let's see... this city has, what, a 20 mile diameter, not counting the suburbs. So, the four of us working on the circle round the clock can complete it, say, in a year or so. Now, why the hell hadn't I thought of that? What a brilliant idea!"

 

[faust]

Sorry, damn computer posted twice.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Mideon

Not good, and they were moving without ceasing. The three had reached the door within a few seconds, but I was moving toward the front door, wanting to see if there was an escape there. More men out front. Six of them, and I guessed they were all from the Brotherhood, or something like it. Again, no allies for me.
I looked around frantically, wondering if I could hide somewhere and not be discovered, but knowing they would find me wherever I went. Litle options, but my mind rifted to the man upstairs. He'd been shot, but had continued inside. he had an agenda, and that made him similar to myself in that, he didn't want to fail. Death here would certainly be a failure. I gripped the handle of the 9mm in my right hand and drew another from inside my coat with my left, then quickly worked my way toward the stairs.

 

[Lord Kenshin]

Chris* Is back

Chris stood as the two entered, frowning at the arguement they were having. He didn't think argueing with team mates was a good idea in this city, but he figured if Jack wanted to go off and have his own death wish, Chris was the unlikeliest person to care.

"No, I'm not afraid of hieghts. Why?"

Chris raised a brow, wondering why they would ask him this. Perhaps they had to scale the tallest building in town? Who knew, yet he didn't care.

 

[Lady Violet]

Arden

Arden spun around, placing her hand right in front of Jack's chest.

"With a single thought I can reverse the flow of your blood, causing your heart to explode. You can't see the circle, most magic is invisible. Its the believe that the circle is there which allows it to perform the clensing of the town." She smiled, cocked her head to one side and lowered her hand. Turning back towards Chris, she said "I need you to to go the roof of city hall (ooc: we are in city hall btw), and keep watch. Take some weapons with you."

Arden sensed Jack about to interupt, but before any of them could do anything, the sound of gun fire could be heard not to far away.

"We have to hurry. Sasha, grab my bag. Jack, cover us in front. Good luck Chris, we'll meet you back here so when you see us coming out of the store I'll need you to keep watch again." Taking one last look at the group, Arden grined and ran to the door, opening it for Jack to go through first.

 

[crysede]

Sasha:
Raising her eyebrows at Arden's words, Sasha looked that the women with surprise and respect: life powers were one of the most difficult to control, her mother had said that there was no one left who could still wield them. Of course, even a single thought takes time, and she wondered if Arden was aware of how swift a hunter could really be when acting on instinct alone.

Grabbing Arden's bag and hurrying after her, Sasha paused at the door to give Chris a grin over her shoulder: "Good luck!"

 

[faust]

To the botanical store!

Jack listened silently as Arden explained how easily she could kill him. Was it true? More importantly - was it a threat? It sure as hell didn't sound like a pleasant way to die. And there was no way he was going to give her the satisfaction of killing him... If what she said was true, and she could rupture his heart... Jack knew from personal experience that a man shot through the heart would still have at least 3 seconds to act before he lost consciousness. He fingered the grenade hidden in his coat pocket, making sure the detonation trigger was easily accesable. Let her try that vodoo shit now - he would blow them all to hell with the last of his strength!

Arden, meanwhile was giving out orders to the rest of their party. He would humor her for a while longer... Slipping outside, Jack crouched down so as not to present an easy target. The street seemed empty, naturally enough. Faint shots could be heard in the distance - probably a domestic dispute being settled in the only sensible way. The botanical shop was just across the street. "All quiet." he called back. "Let's go."

 

[Paendragon]

Unlikely Ally

"Shit," He muttered to himself. He could see two, but could bet there was more than that. He looked toward the old witch.

"If there is another way out of here, I suggest you tell me where it is."

"There is another way. It's downstairs. We'll never make it before they get here, though."

"Fuck," John whispered. He had hoped to keep the killing to a minimum, if for no other reason than to not draw any attention to himself.

He tested his injured shoulder, than tore a piece of cloth from his shirt and tied it around the wound. Then he checked the gun clip, and the refills to see how many bullets he had left. Four full clips, and three shots fired from the gun. Fifteen bullets per clip. He had thought that was too much ammo, but as it turns out, it might not be enough.

"Keep yourself quiet, lady, and we both might just make it out of here alive. If not... I'd hate to have to kill you."

She smiled. "I know, Mr. Farland. We shall work together, to survive. We also have another ally. He's coming up the stairs as we speak."

John didn't question her. He strode to the door, and crouched low. "Who is it?"

"He doesn't know. He'll answer to Mideon."

John looked at her. "You mean you don't know him?"

"I know he doesn't want to die any more than you or I."

John grunted. He couldn't believe he was about to do this. It went against everything he had ever been taught. Never trust anyone, and NEVER give away your position. At least he knew where this Mideon was, and he felt confidant enough in his own abilities to know who the victor would be if things went bad. Oh well. Who wants to live forever?

"Mideon!" he called out. "I have a proposition for you!"

 

[Lord Kenshin]

Chris sighed and made his way over the bag of weapons and picks a light weight sniper rifle with 300x zoom. He turned and smiled to the groupd and made his way to the stairs, climbing them to the second floor and disappearing from sight. He knew some how he'd be left behing to fend for himself, but he was a survivor, and that's how he'd spend the rest of his life anyway. Lonely and always having to find a way to survive.

He found a small ladder that led to the roof, pulling out his only weapon he enjoyed using and scaling the ladder quickly. He peeked onto the roof from the hole, checking to make sure no one had already figured this as a way to get to them.

The coast was clear so he moved onto the roof, crouching and continuing along the side of the roof, moving to the front of the building.

"God I hope I don't get shot," Chris muttered under his breath.

He crouched low to hide himself from view on the street, taking out the sniper rifle and peeking over the top of the ledge, placing one knee on the loose gravel roof to keep a steady foot.

He placed the rifle on the top of his left hand, his right hand holding onto the butt of the gun, steadying it and placing his left eye to the lens. He stood up higher, making sure he could cover the whole street and about 4 blocks in both directions.

 

[Quiet_Cool]

Mideon

As I reached the halfway point on the staircase, my left leg, poised on the step ahead of the right, began to shake slightly, to waver beneath my weight. I leaned my weight back onto my right leg, hoping it was just some type of spasm, but fearing otherwise.
I let my eyes close for a minute, trying to control the sensation that was coming over me. It felt like a headrush, a sudden rushing of blood to the brian that made me dizzy, then clouded my sight, not blackening it out as if I were about to faint but graying it out, as if some surreal imaginary smoke were growing thick before them.
I wavered slightly, my entire body now, unable to keep my balance in this awkward blind state. I fell to one knee, my left, perched on the same step as my foot, then reached down to the steps with my right hand, setting the gun on the step and trying to balance myself with the free hand.
MY mind was wandering already, ensuring I would remain helpless at least for the time being, to what would have been my disapproval, were I in the mental state to disapprove.
MY hand and knee and foot seemed to sink into the steps they rested on.
Flashing images, like old photographs, not focused but still seeming far too familiar. A woman standing at the top of a long set of wooden steps, in an apron. A young girl, smiling up on a tire swing. A young woman, this image in black and white, laying on the floor of a motel room, eyes closed as if sleeping, unmoving and peaceful, her face broken open above her right eye, blood saturating the carpetted floor around her, her throat also cut.
The last image faded out, replaced by the gray smoke again, then the distant sound of a voice, an old woman's voice, saying, "If we can catch them here...the old ways...now and again...isn't that true?" A familiar voice, but I couldn't place it.
Quickly, another image broken my train of recollection, my attempt to find the voice's owner in my memory. A Camaro, old and beaten to begin with, now laying on its roof, windows broken all over the asphalt, still running, a trail of blood leading away, radion still blaring loudly, fire erupting from beneath, which was then on top. This image goen as quickly as it had come, and replaced by another.
A woman, young and pretty, brunette with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a blue sundress, smiling through lips painted red, eyelashed fluttering, hair blowing lightly in a breeze, cheeks fair. "Come with me," she says, her voice everywhere in my head at once. "Come, you'll have fun, I promise..." Her smile grows, showing white teeth, her head turns away, blushing, then turns back, blushing further, eyes reluctant to look again but having to.
Another voice, this one cutting across the scene, my name, spoken by a male voice. I wait for the image to accompany it, but none comes.
"I have a proposition for you!" It shouts, but it sounds too far away. The steps return then, seeming to rise to my hand and foot and knee again, making me feel as though they are lifting me suddenly. Cool air seems to rush against me from all sides, then I open my eyes to see the stairs before me seeming to materialze before me through the gray smoke. THe steps feel fully real, and I realize that the room isn't cool, just cooler than the sweat that has formed on my skin during my "spell." I take in a deep breath, looking around, returning to real-life. The gray smoke is gone already, and it's as though it never happened.
I grip the pistol and wonder who has said my name and where they are. But I know without any thought or realistic explanation. Upstairs, I think, it came from upstairs. It was the man who I was hearing earlier, I was certain, and earlier, he'd sounded as though he were at the back of the hall.
I glance toward the kitchen, unable to see the back door but knowing it was in that direction. Whoever was outside, it seemed wouldnot be with these people, which meant that perhaps I shared a common interest with those upstairs, who somehow knew my name.
No time to think. I started up the steps, moving quickly, but one step at a time, taken on my toes, I turned into a hall, nine millimeter pointed out in front of me, and stepped quickly away from the stairs, should whoever was outside look up them.
Creeping back the hall, I ease past the first two doors, then stop at the third, seeing one more past it.
"Who are you? What do you want?" I ask, whispering into the crack, not knowing the old lady and the man are not behind this door, but the next.

 

[Lady Violet]

Arden

Trying to sneak through center town, during broad daylight was crazy. Arden knew that, but she also knew she couldn't wait until the sun went down. She had to get what she needed, then head back to the house. Her mother knew how to prepare the ingredients. That was the one thing she didn't have time to teach Arden.

Looking around her as they made their way to the shop, Arden couldn't help but feel alone, even among her companions. They ran from tree to tree down the main street, and checked with Chris before crossing the street. He gave them the go ahead and they squeezed into the door opening of the restaurant. She smiled at Chris, hoping he could see it. She sensed good things about him, even if he didn't know it himself.

Arden looked towards Jack and asked if it was ok to go. He was about to say yes when they saw a car driving slowly down Main Street. It stopped in front of the bank, about 2 blocks from the shop.

"What do we do now" Sasha asked.

"We go through the restaurant" Jack replied.

"I don't have a key" whispered Arden.

"We don't need one" Jack replied.

 

[crysede]

Sasha:
She kept one hand firmly on her rifle, ready to drop Arden's bag and steady her weapon at a moments notice. Venturing out without the cover of darkness was not her style, years of running had taught her to shun the brightness of day and knowing that there was far more to worry about in this town then one bounty hunter did not ease her mind any. They stopped at a restaurant as a car pulled up near the shop they were heading for.

"Now what?" She whispered to Arden.

But Jack was the one with the answer: of course, she should have realized a locked door would be little trouble one with his training. She kept her back to him as he worked on the door, scanning the street for any signs of immediate danger.