I blinked a few times as the coffee was thrown in my face, I looked at the girl a bit surprised, she seemed so... timid. "...Thank you." I mouthed silently to her, I was thankful because she had both managed to calm me and the man down, if she hadn't done what she had done, one of us could have done something that would have escalated the argument into a fight... I grabbed a napkin from my table and wiped my face off. "...Sorry, but at least I'm being direct with you, others will probably just try to manipulate you into revealing your wish or they'll just mark you as an enemy, or they won't care if you're the one who made the wish or not and try to attack you, having many allies can help you, if it's to get information, to help you in a fight, or create a distraction so then you can do something not so legal or to help you escape, now that is something that I have a talent with." I said crossing my arms.
"I'm Fritz." The man in the red suit said as he put down Avalyn. "I can't be manipulated. As you can see people are fiercely protective of me." He said pointing at Avalyn. Fritz started to walk away from Joe but paused. "You want to know my wish? Then lets go bitch." It was a vulgar way of saying "Follow me." But Fritz wasn't a very elegant man. As things had calmed down he could certainly see how pointless shooting Joe would of been. With that Fritz started making his way to the bank.
"Joe Edogawa, and you don't know that, there are some pretty smooth talkers out there." I said, I shrugged and began following him from behind. "Alright, boss." I said jokingly, I didn't get angry nor annoyed by his vulgar command, in fact I kind of preferred it, better than the people that pretended to be elegant or were too uptight.
Talking and ???????? Fritz, Joe and Avalyn made their way to the bank as per instructions by the map and Elean. There were at least twenty steps which led up to the meeting spot. They were made of a fine white marble that shined as the sun beaded down on it. Fritz figured he'd might as well speak to Joe of his wish since the man had become his new servant. "I wished for power in the city." He said a scowl forming on his face. "That's what I desired to be recognized for simply being. Me I deserve that for what this world took from me." Fritz never spoke of his past life much but when he did Avalyn certainly knew not to press the matter as a certain look formed in his eye. His parents were killed that's all and he'd never spoken of it since the first time he told her. "But all I got was this stupid letter telling me to come here, lost my sunglasses and oh yeah! Avalyn made me this crappy suit!" He exclaimed glaring at her. As the group got to the top Fritz was a bit taken back by the beauty of the bank. It was painted entirely golden with brown double doors each door knob with a diamond design. The a large fountain of the god Atlas holding the Earth towering over all the busy men and women that were finely dressed. "Shit now what?" Fritz asked and not waiting for a reply. "I guess we better go in. I fucking hate places like this. Upper class pricks. Don't even know who I am its disrespectful!" He said approaching the bank doors gaining looks from the people close bye. ..................................... "Mr. Laplace how can we trust these people?" Asked a man whom was doing his best impression to be part man bull. His hands could assault rifles look small and the scowl on his face seemed to darken the entire room. His body was clunky like a professional weight lifter that went over board and he stood certainly over six foot. He had dollar colored eyes never once blinked as he studied the papers in his hand. The man he was speaking to our ever Laplace was short, in comparison to the living tank in the room. He had a thin face with visible cheeks bones but his large chest clearly was visible through his clothing. His hawk like features were sharp and might of at one time been considered handsome. However he was very unsettling. He wore gray suit that was anything but cheap not a wrinkle in it. His skin was eerie as it was almost paper white but strangely a large dark brown Afro sat on his head looking extremely out of place. His ears were covered in piercings including two tunnels on either of his ear. Each making his ear lobe stretch to repulsive levels and he a very ugly looking black metal decorated his nose connecting to each nostril Laplace flashed the big man a grin revealing a shining gold tooth. "Come now Floss." He replied his voice soothing. "Of course not but I believe this man deserves to know what I know. Plus I'm sure that he desires the information I have. But trust me he's know threat to my empire. He'll be valuable and once some work for us is done I'll give him what he wants." "I still don't like it." Floss replied. "I mean we located this guy by buying police records from other cities thanks to some contacts you have. Have you read some of the stuff he has done? He was arrested for assault EIGHT times and over THIRTY reports were made of a man in sunglasses attacking people for minor reasons while a woman dressed in multiple colors attempted to calm him down!" He exclaimed. "As for the ones he was charged of an elderly couple who told him to mind his manners, a middle aged woman who cut in front of him at a fair and the rest are simply cases where he battered his partner in public and police were called" Floss paused. "Speaking of his partner what's the deal with her?" "I believe that would be called an abusive relationship." Laplace replied. "So sad isn't? They would be such a cute couple if didn't beat her like fifteen year old boys beat their meat." Floss blinked. "I meant why is she with him all the time if he's so hostile?" Floss looked down another paper in his hand. "I'm not really sure myself. I've been looking for Mr. Gance for sometime. So I wasn't aware of her. Nor do I care. Once I heard of his criminal exploits I decided I would like to make a trad off with him. As for your question loyalty is a funny thing." Laplace said with a sigh. "You'll often find those who are loyal in the bottom rung of things. Like you for example Floss. No offense but the reason your not in this chair running the this city. There is a reason why its the Laplace family and not the Floss family. I didn't get here by being loyal but you as a loyal person still stay by my side." "Gee thanks." Floss said in a dry tone as his scowl sunk even lower. "Hey you get paid." Laplace replied cheerfully. "Now Miss Sissy shall send them up once they get in building." "How do you know he'll will come?" Floss asked. "Oh trust me he'll come."
Jaharra gaped at the strange man who had appeared, confused beyond belief. First a man controlling blood, then this guy? What was the world coming to? Oh yeah, it had been changed to suit someone's taste. She'd forgotten that. "Uhh... I never abandoned anything and I certainly did not plan for this -so if you could let me go..." she mumbled.
I looked over at him. "Hey it could be worse, at least you have a suit and you're not going in with street clothing." I said amused, I knew that I probably shouldn't press on his past, I don't know what I would do if he'd ask me about my own or my own wish... no one ever really got close enough to me to ask me about myself at all, I usually just kept to myself, watching conflicts from afar, and sometimes tricked people with my illusions for fun. I looked at the bank as we arrived. "Impressive." I thought, I looked over at Fritz as he made his statement about the bank. "Agreed... well about the upper class pricks." I said amused. "I bet if they cracked a smile that they'd shatter like glass, or if they cut loose even a little their family would throw them in jail, or they'd wreck everything that they own." I said smiling, I chuckled.
Arthur "I called you to kill you, but first to talk of course. You seems to know more than me right?.... yet you're still afraid somehow" "I am afraid... Afraid that the same thing will happen again... The Nocturne is power beyond what mortals should have, only a god should have that power. Are you a god? You don't look like any god i've ever seen." Arthur spoke calmly and quickly. "This has happened before, but I swear that I will not let it happen again, I lost too much to first time..." And with that he freed the rapier from the scabbard under his coat and held it out towards Elean. "It was good that you called me here, it saved me the trouble of having to hunt you down to wet my blade..."
Elean's expression. Elean smiled, that was already usual on him. Yet his new smile reflected something different, different than the arrogance of before, something that showed a extreme complex of superiority, but also contempt. "A song that only a god can have?.... That's foolish, if such why would humans have the right to use it on the first place?.... reason is simple, go backtrack the legend of the Nocturne, a song created by humans as a gift to the gods, yet they returned it to humans with the magic of the crafting on it...." Elean turned around, this time facing the man, observing his face for the first time, only to find a mask covering it. "I hoped to see to your face's expression... but you're hiding it... do you fear people to observe it?... well never mind.. I'll take that mask of you later..." And then the man produced a revolver, he carefully aimed... "Would like to see your face right now..." said before shooting. Yet his aim never was his enemy, he put the gun right inside his chin and shot himself. As a normal reaction blood flew... as an abnormal sequence his whole body crumbled and melted with the ground. His figure didn't form behind Arthur, it inmediatly appeared, aiming his true shot at his back.... "Expressions are quite useful sometimes no?" said the man and pressed the trigger.
Arthur He caught his breath as the man shot himself. Then he ducked. The bullet went sailing over his head, clipping a hair off. Then he spun around on his heels with his rapier flashing out low, trying to get the man's legs. "The God's gave it back cursed!" Arthur exclaimed. Then, using the his new mask, he propelled himself backward, his feet skidding along the pavement until he stopped twenty feet back. Then he held his blade up, tip to the sky, and pulled off the Bird of Prey, revealing the plain white mask beneath. "You wanted to see my expression, here it is! But it is only one of many..." Then he reached under his coat and removed The Warrior's Countenance. The Samurai helmet wooden mask had a fearsome appearance. He pulled it over his head and in two deft movements ties the ribbon behind his head. As he did, his thin bladed transformed into a powerful straight bladed Chinese sword. "This sword is a remnant of my home, a world destroyed because of that damn song! I will not let that happen again!" he said and then charged.
Elean's placed his hand over the head of Arthur, using it as a support to impulse his body with a jump, avoiding the rapier that aimed at his legs. "The God's gave it back cursed!" Arthur exclaimed. "Is both a curse and a bless, a curse for the weak a bless for the strong. No my dear Arthur I don't think I'm a god, but I do believe I had already surpassed humanity." stated Elean The man changed mask, his blade evolved, Elean whistled at this sight... "But a plain white expression? isn't that boring?, yet you are interesting by yourself, a contradiction, perhaps you too had realized the moment when humanity feels inferior..." Elean spread both arms, as if he were to revealing no trick on his body... "Yet I'm different. Angelo plays a trumpet, Vasco paints, Maria is a pianist.... the young Nadia plays a violin, you use masks.... I do not need nothing, my very existence is a form of art". He made a gesture with both arms and then from inside his sleeves to round objects appeared on his hand "Tell me Arthur, you believed I should had died when I shot mysel right?.... Will you believe the same now??" And then he pulled the string attached to the two grenades he had in hands, one was launched to Arthur, the other fell right in front of Elean. An explosion was triggered, the sound covered the air. Elean was of course fine, waiting at a safe distance instead of being caught in the close explosion, he defied logic once again!!
Arthur leapt to the side when he saw what the 'round' object was. The Warrior's Countenance sped his reaction and strength; he very nearly got out of the blast... But not quite. He felt a piece of shrapnel impact with his leg, and was knocked back into a wall by the blast. He grabbed hold of a window sill and pulled himself up, then looked around for his attacker. "So, you resort to tricks of the mind?" Arthur asked. "I am no stranger to them..." Ducking for a moment, he swapped masks once more. His sword changed back to a rapier, and he vanished from the conscious mind of Elean as he tied the ribbon of The Face That Stopped Them. "Find me now!"
Myself rejecting to aknowledge his presence The smile of Elean's face didn't waver.. "So you went serious this time no?... but is a bit of a weakness that you can only use one at the time... Besides....." He quickly reloaded both guns with such fine movements and speed like those that only appears in the movies. "You seems to forgot that this is a pseudo-reality.... filled with pseudo-people memories of the even of this days.... In other words I find no guilt in killing them" And he pulled the trigger of both guns, quickly moving them, circling them around him trying to cover any space around him. Missed bullets hit people... missed bullets killed people. Elean was unnable to aim something he couldn't aknowledge.... so he was resorting to cover all spaces and shot him with a missed bullet.
What is it about the city? The lights, the sounds, the stench... That last one might have been Sully get a spray full of hose water. Wet wolf does not smell good. Anyway, all I know is that something happened in this city, but, nobody knows what. Heck, I don't even know what. I was up in the mountains shooting some nature shots... That sounds like a disturbance. And that sounds like gunfire. Maybe I shouldn't get involved.... And that is why I'm walking directly towards the gunfire. Because I'm an idiot. Well, maybe I'll get some shots or something. Sell them to.... What in the name of all that is holy is going on here? I quickly pull out my camera and took a shot. Digital sucked, but... I should be able to get a handle on the situation.
Shaking her head, Avalyn glanced over the busy men and women around the bank. Their fashion choices...how disgusting! Bland, dull, boring, drab, much too plain! Where was the color; the beauty? Did they not look at themselves in the mirror? They needed a Fang fashion, pronto... Pulling her eyes away from the sight, Avalyn walked, listening intently to Fritz's words. Wait...he found his suit, crappy? A frown settled on her lips. He didn't like it? Why not? It looked perfect on him! He was the most colorful one in the crowd! Didn't he say he wanted to be noticed? Disappointment lingered in her heart as she turned to look at him. "Fritz, I...I'm so sorry! I can make you another garment if you want. I just need some fabric, maybe there are pretty curtains in this bank or I can find something better...but well, I just thought red was your color." Avalyn said quickly. She let out a sigh as her gaze flicked once again to the doors. While studying them, her thoughts began to shift to what the man in the cafe had said. Would Fritz's wish truly change their lives?
"Stop right there!!" The voice of a woman replied behind the man with the camera. She was beautiful lady with a short black hair and glasses who wore a black dress. On her hand there was a gun aiming at the head of the cameraman. "Elean asked me to not let anyone interfere. Sure a cameraman wouldn't spend his time taking pictures of a dangerous gunfire. What are your true intentions?!!!" exclaimed the woman
I paused, and looked up at the woman holding a gun to my head. Not an uncommon thing for me, sad to say. "Would you believe me if I said I was hoping to sell this to some newspapers?" I said, standing up, holding out my hand. "My name's Rom. I'm a free-lance photographer. Just got back from a nature shoot for some magazine when I stumbled across this, figured I could sell some pics so that I could get some food tonight." Pretty much the truth, since my powers don't work well on pictures shot with a digital camera, for some strange reason I haven't figured out yet.
Arthur Arthur gasped as a bullet glanced off his mask, and cried out as another hit his arm. To many people were being hurt, he couldn't let this go on, but it acted rashly, he would be killed. He ducked into a nearby alley and waited for the guns to run out of ammo. As soon as Elean paused to reload, Arthur shouted, "I'm over here!" But Elean would have figured that out soon anyway. Drops of his blood were falling to the pavement, from the gash in his leg and the bullet in his arm. He just needed to get close to the man...
Elean vs Arthur The assault of Elean generated noise... As a normal consequence people feared and screamed trying to run away while a few tried to help their friends or relatives that were shot by Elean. "I'm over here!" screamed the masked man Elean didn't move... instead he replied... "Shall I come to where you are?, your invitation is a tempting one, but I would be like the mouse walking to the mousetrap seeking for the tempting cheese wouldn't I?" The man begun to run in the opposite direction... "Try to hunt me down then cat!!!" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Woman and Romulus What is this man saying? I clearly stated that I won't let him bother Elean, instead he states he plan to sell pictures of him?.... What would he do?, regardless this is a dangerous matter, I can't let him put the Contact in danger. "Give that camera... I won't let you put Elean into danger!!!" exclaimed the woman pressing the cannon of the gun against the head of the man. "I'll count until three, then I'll shot......... One!...." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Angelo The man quietly observed the silent crowd, at most the feral woman replied, yet it seemed she didn't get the situation. "You do not get it right?... That girl Nadia is more dangerous that she seems, and she sure is plotting someth.....!!!" The words of the man were interrupted by a sudden explosion, the car quickly ignited throwing all those close to it several meters. What exploded?... that was the surprise of the man once the dust cleaned and he realized it... "That girl.... she was a bomb??!!!" exclaimed surprised. The "Nadia" that was tied and throw into the car was a bomb.... A bomb of "Nadia", who spoke and acted like Nadia... The eyes of man were quickly dragged at the empty case he had in hand... "The girl's violin.... is that her expression?... then where is the real Nadia... What did she expected killing these two!!" wondered the man referring to Norton and Jaharra. His focus once again was dragged as soon as he heard a gunfire on some close street... Someone was shooting people there.... Angelo feared the worst.
I had a sudden flashback to a story I did featuring a hostage situation. This wasn't that different. Moving fast, I pushed up with the hand holding the camera, taking a picture of my assailant just as I pushed the gun away. Hopefully, the flash will stun her.
Pain. Fire. Darkness. Jaharra came awake lying on a rooftop -oddly knowing that she had only just gotten away with her life because the black panther within her had taken over and used her supernatural speed to escape the blood-mage's clutches. Where she was, sh didn't know, and as she rolled over she felt something odd press against her side. Stone. Yes, she was on a city rooftop, but why did she not fee anything in her right arm? Looking over, Jaharra's face went white as she realized why. Her arm had been blown clean off. Opening and closing her mouth, she struggled to process the fact that she felt no pain, nor was blood flowing from the wound. Somehow it had been cauterized while she'd been out of it, but to not feel pain? It didn't seem possible! Panic. Panic panic panic. Jaharra realized to late that she'd done something very bad when the creature came to life within her again. Yowling and snarling, the jaguar took over her body and forced her to change shape. *** The lithe cat rose up on three legs, sniffed at the missing one, then seemed to dismiss it without a second thought. The click of a trigger, or a picture begin taken, had grabbed it's attention. peering over the edge, the cat spotted a man and a woman facing off not thirty stories below.
It was the sound of a nearby person, that distracted the woman for an instant, allowing the camera flash to blind her for an instant. "Tch... don't you think you'll escape!!" exclaimed the woman trying to maintain her posture while being blinded. Then she pressed the trigger, a bullet flew piercing part of the cameraman's hair only scratching his ear at most.
I felt the bullet clip my ear, taking a bit of flesh with it, then I decided to do something I'm not proud of. I hit her. Not hard, mind you, I pulled my punch.... which will probably get me killed since she has a freaking gun in her hand... But, I wasn't thinking that. "Oh, crap, I'm sorry, lady, here let me help you up."
The panther's nostrils widened as it took in the scent of gunpowder and blood. And its head quirked to one side as it watched the man's behavior. He smelled of animals and plants. Friendly? Maybe. Gun. A woman was holding a gun at the man's head! A growl rising up in the feline's throat, she leapt off the edge without a thought. The wind screamed past her ears, and as the shadows of the windowsills caught and melded with her form, she seemed almost a blur. A small grunt was elicited as she landed on her only forepaw, but otherwise the panther didn't seem to show any sign that it had just dropped thirty stories -and that was a good three-hundred feet at least! Hopping until she faced the woman from behind, the cat let loose a low, threatening growl.
Attacked by the cameraman... or tried to be attacked by him, the woman got angered, as thus she raised her gun again, aiming correctly this time, decided to stop playing like a good person and shoot him. However a sudden dry sound right behind her caught her attention, her focus shifted, she turned 180° making her gun to aim those that was behind her this time. Too many problems close to "the contact", that was dangerous, so she didn't bother to warn the new this moment, instead she pressed the trigger three times without a warning.
The panther was a blur as the bullets were fired. Each one passing through an insubstantial mass before a set of raking claws lashed out at the woman. The panther roared, trying to sink its teeth into her throat.
